A feature interview with Salvo Gangemi and Ivo Kolchev of ASBP Leader Member McLaren Construction, conducted by Debbie Ward, Director and Reuse Now campaign lead at the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products.
When it comes to embedding circular economy principles in construction, McLaren is starting to move beyond aspiration into practical action. In this conversation, ASBP Director Debbie Ward speaks with Salvo and Ivo from McLaren’s sustainability team about why reuse matters, how they’re embedding circularity into business practices, and what needs to change at industry and policy level.
Founded in 2001, McLaren Construction Group is a dynamic, Tier 1 contractor, specialising across a wide range of key sectors including commercial, healthcare, industrial & logistics, data centres, film and media, and more both within the private and public sector.
Why is reuse important to McLaren?
Debbie:
Why is the circular economy, and within that the reuse of materials, important to McLaren?
Salvo:
Reusing materials reduces our dependence on volatile supply chains, helping to protect projects from cost swings. It marks out McLaren as a contractor that actively designs out waste and promotes reuse, while also strengthening our credibility in line with investor and client ESG commitments.
Reuse can lower disposal costs, reduce site congestion, and improve programme certainty. These are real benefits that go beyond sustainability. They build resilience into every project.”
Embedding circularity across teams
Debbie:
How has McLaren gone about embedding circular economy strategies and practices across the wider business, including finance and risk teams?
Ivo:
Initially, circularity was very much driven by the sustainability team. But we’ve worked hard to mainstream it through internal training, case study spotlights, and project showcases.
The key is making it relevant to people’s day jobs. For example, for commercial teams, it’s about demonstrating lower costs if materials can be retained; for procurement, it’s about sourcing reconditioned products locally rather than relying on long supply chains.
A great example is our LSE project on Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where circularity was built into the design intent from the very beginning. Instead of treating the existing building as waste, the team had to see it as a resource. That required a real mindset shift, but it also showed what’s possible when procurement and design are aligned with reuse.
Are clients asking for reuse?
Debbie:
How often does circular economy and reuse come up in tenders and client conversations?
Salvo:
There’s been a massive shift in just the last two years. Sustainability KPIs, especially around reuse, are now in the majority of tenders for public projects and increasingly in private sector bids. Many clients now ask us directly how we’re incorporating reuse into their projects.
That said, not all clients back up those ambitions with time or budget. Often, our role is to guide them, show case studies, and make clear that this isn’t just a tick-box exercise. It’s about cost savings, carbon reductions, and future-proofing their buildings. Without sustainability professionals bridging that gap, many developers simply wouldn’t know how to make reuse happen.
What would accelerate change?
Debbie:
What three things – around policy, behaviour change or otherwise – would help increase both design for reuse and reclamation of materials?
Ivo:
First, stronger policy. In London, the GLA has made progress with requirements like circular economy statements. If we want to ensure reuse opportunities are identified systematically, we will need to mandate pre-demolition and pre-refurbishment audits nationwide.
Second, financial incentives. Right now, the recipient project benefits from lower costs and embodied carbon, but donor buildings often see reuse as a hassle. If there were direct benefits for them too, participation would scale up quickly.
Third, infrastructure. We need regional reuse hubs where materials can be stored and redistributed. At present, timing and logistics are huge barriers. You rarely have a perfect match between what’s being stripped out and what’s needed. A hub system would make reuse simpler and more reliable.
Salvo:
I’d add that incentives matter more than penalties. We are working hard to move away from offsetting fees rather than reducing embodied carbon. If we can make circularity the more rewarding option, adoption will accelerate.
Looking ahead
As Debbie notes, clients are at different stages. Some genuinely want to embrace circularity but don’t know where to start, while others mention it as a compliance measure without real understanding. For McLaren, that knowledge gap is where the sustainability team sees its biggest role.
Both Salvo and Ivo agree that the momentum is there, but scaling reuse will require collaboration across the supply chain, practical policy changes, and a mindset shift that sees waste not as a problem to be managed, but as a resource to be reimagined.
For more information about McLaren Construction, please visit their website: https://www.mclarengroup.com/