20th Apr 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

At Broadgate we're working with  British Land, Sir Robert McAlpine,  
and Cantillon to deliver 1 Broadgate. The  demolition and enabling works have focused on  
circular economy principles and maximising the  value of the materials coming out of the building.  
This started with a pre-demolition audit and  carried through tender stage where we had focused,  
circular economy workshops to explore and  discuss opportunities for maximising the  
value of materials coming out of the building.  A circular economy is a systematic approach to  
economic development designed to benefit  businesses, society and the environment.
Having completed a pre-demolition audit  this helped pinpoint the key materials  
and identify the potential recycling  or reuse strategy for each material.
The Broadgate envelope is  constructed in a granite façade.
It was decided at tender stage that  72 m3 of the granite façade would  
be reused in the terrazzo tile in  the new 1 Broadgate development.  
The remainder of this granite façade is  being recycled at a local recycling facility.
Throughout the demolition, Cantillon and  Sir Robert McAlpine walked around the site  
looking at various different materials and  products around the site that we could reuse.  
It was identified that a lot of chairs would  be leftover possessions. Over 200 of these  
chairs have been sent to local facilities to be  reused back into the market. Prior to demolition,  
raised access flooring was identified  as a key material to use at 1 Broadgate.  
The materials were stacked, loaded and  sent away to be reused in new developments.
The concrete on site has been broken out,  loaded away and been sent away to be stockpiled.
This concrete will then be returned  to site and used as a pile mat.
The project team and British Land have  collaborated with developer fabrics  
to clean, refurbish, test and repurpose  the structural steel from 1 Broadgate.  
The structural steel has been cut, removed,  stacked and loaded away for transportation.
Over 3,000 carpet tiles were reused  from 1 Broadgate to be reused in  
the Eldon Street offices. 168 doors  have been removed from 1 Broadgate.  
These doors have been turned into welfare tables  in the welfare area of the Eldon Street offices.  
Materials that are not being reused are being sent  off-site to local recycling processes to ensure  
all materials are diverted from landfill.  So far, as of January 2022, 1,300 tonnes  
have been diverted from landfill. This is the  equivalent to 1,083 London double-decker buses.
We have learned some valuable lessons  at 1 Broadgate around circular economy  
and I think we will certainly be looking at 1  Broadgate as a benchmark for any new sustainable  
developments that we have in the future.

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