20th April 2022

Our approach to the circular economy at 1 Broadgate, London

Company Carbon Manager, Simon Leek, shares insight into how the demolition and enabling works at 1 Broadgate in London have adopted circular economy principles.

We are currently working with British Land and Cantillon to deliver 1 Broadgate, London. As part of our commitment to using resources more efficiently and reducing carbon emissions, the project team have collaborated, through the demolition and enabling works, on maximising the value of the materials coming out of the building, in line with circular economy principles.

A pre-demolition audit and circular economy workshops during tendering helped to pinpoint the key materials and identify the potential recycling or reuse strategy for each, including:

  • 200 tonnes of the initial granite façade reclaimed for reuse in a terrazzo tile which will be installed in the new development
  • 200 chairs sent to local facilities to be reused in the market
  • Nearly 32,000 tiles of raised access flooring salvaged for reuse in other developments
  • 3,000 m3 of site material repurposed for the pile mat
  • 140 tonnes of structural steelwork removed, tested and repurposed in another development
  • 3,500 carpet tiles reused in the project offices and welfare
  • 168 doors turned into welfare tables and benches

Materials that are not being reused are being sent off-site to local recycling processors to ensure they are diverted from landfill. So far, over 13,000 tonnes of non-hazardous demolition waste have been diverted from landfill.

We have learned some valuable lessons at 1 Broadgate around circular economy implementing Circular Economy principles and we will be building on this at the next project on the Broadgate Framework: 2 Finsbury Avenue.

Circular economy at 1 Broadgate

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