On Tuesday 25th April, IOM3 and Constructing Excellence hosted a Circular Economy
webinar about re-use in the fit-out sector. We were joined by Flavie Lowres, Associate Director, Research and Strategic Advisory Group, BRE, as well as Rebecca Marsh from RMF and Roy Molony from Recolight. The speakers provided insight into how re-use can be implemented in lighting and raised flooring and the work that their organisations are doing to support this.
RMF
Raised Modular Flooring
Rebecca Marsh, RMF, spoke about the work her organisation has engaged in to promote re-use of raised modular flooring. As part of their Eco Range, RMF, are able to take back flooring panels which have been removed and clean and test them in order to prepare them for re-use.
This has become a more appealing process as construction has developed a wider awareness of waste within the industry. Companies are now more interested in engaging with schemes that allow them to re-use materials that have not yet reached the end of their useful life.
This raised awareness and interest hopes to make a huge difference within the industry, particularly where raised modular flooring is concerned, as re-use within this area significantly reduces the amount of carbon used in fit-out.
Lighting
Roy Molony, Recolight, identified that the biggest problem within lighting is that a large number of installations are removed before the end of their useful lives. Cat A plays a big part in this due to the regular turnover and replacement of fittings.
However, the industry gas begun to recognise that there is a problem and more companies are beginning to take ownership of their materials by offering ‘take back’ schemes allowing lighting to be returned to its origin at the end of its life. Some organisations are also providing ‘Duty of Care’ alongside standard warranties by which they commit to providing parts and repairs to their products with the aim of reducing waste of useful goods.
The development of ‘TM66 Creating a circular economy in the lighting industry (2021)‘ has been key in improving circular economy within lighting by beginning to measure how re-usable products are. The aim is to encourage lighting providers to consider the whole life cycle of their materials.
Join Us Again…
Constructing Excellence and IOM3 will be hosting another webinar on 27th June, Circular Economy: De-Risking Reuse Standards, Warranties & Insurances Webinar. We would love to see you there, book now to ensure your space.
