Debbie Ward, Director of Circular Economy and Reuse at the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) spoke with Zoe Culverhouse, Consultant at Reusefully, about her journey into the circular construction sector, what her role involves day to day, and how material reuse is gaining momentum across the industry. Zoe also shares her thoughts on what is needed to make circularity the new normal in the built environment.
From sustainable design to circular construction
Debbie:
Zoe, how did you end up working in the construction industry and focusing on circular economy? Did this interest begin with the subjects you studied?
Zoe:
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where my interest in sustainability started. My parents owned an antique shop, so I grew up seeing the value in second-hand items, sometimes even more than new ones. That idea of reuse was always part of my mindset.
I’ve also always enjoyed things like charity shopping, growing plants, and working on an allotment. Alongside that, I’ve always been quite creative, which led me to study a sustainable design course called Design for Future Living.
During that course I learned more about topics like retrofit and the circular economy. I became particularly interested in the housing crisis and started researching issues such as empty homes. There are so many unused properties that could potentially be brought back into use.
That’s when my thinking shifted away from creating new things and towards asking what we can do with what we already have.
The job at Reusefully came along around that time. I hadn’t really heard of this type of work before, but it aligned perfectly with the ideas I’d been exploring.
A typical week at Reusefully
Debbie:
What does a typical week look like for you, and what’s been the most interesting project you’ve worked on?
Zoe:
I usually work on several projects at once, which keeps things interesting. A typical week might include:
- Site visits to carry out pre-demolition audits
- Quantifying materials in buildings and assessing reuse potential
- Running calculations and producing reports
- Meeting with clients to discuss findings
- Researching reuse opportunities or contacting manufacturers, charities and other organisations
- Tracking materials through the project lifecycle
One of the most interesting projects I’ve worked on was the Black Swan project in Northampton. I worked on it for over a year, starting with the original audit and then continuing through demolition and fit-out stages.
That meant I could track materials throughout the whole process and see what was successfully reused. It was really fulfilling because you could see tangible outcomes and learn what worked well, and what didn’t, for future projects.
How circular economy is gaining traction
Debbie:
What has been Reusefully’s experience of the take-up of circular economy practices in the construction sector?
Zoe:
Even in the two years I’ve been at Reusefully, we’ve seen a clear increase in projects involving reuse and circular economy approaches.
When I first started, most of our work was in London. Now we’re seeing projects across the UK including Scotland, Bristol and Manchester, which is really encouraging.
In terms of building types, we most commonly see:
- Office buildings
- Warehouses
- Universities
- Large commercial developments
Several factors are driving the growth in reuse audits and circular approaches:
- Planning requirements, particularly in London boroughs like the City of London and Westminster
- Certification schemes such as BREEAM
- Client sustainability goals
- Increasing awareness of social value
- Recognition of the financial value of reclaimed materials, such as raised access flooring or structural steel
Clients are also asking for more detailed information and follow-up work, includingtracking materials and finding organisations that can reuse them. When they see the benefits, many come back to us for future projects or recommend us to others.
The importance of a “reuse champion”
One of the biggest lessons Zoe has learned from working on circular economy projects is the importance of having someone responsible for keeping reuse on track.
Having a ‘reuse champion’ on the project makes a huge difference,” she explains. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be us, it could be someone from the demolition contractor or sustainability team, but having someone focused on it ensures reuse doesn’t get sidelined.
Without that dedicated focus, reuse opportunities can easily be missed simply because project teams are busy managing many competing priorities.
What’s next for circular construction?
Debbie:
Where do you see the industry going next in terms of circular economy, and what will help accelerate adoption?
Zoe:
There are a few key things that could really help move the industry forward.
Firstly, as we were just talking about, having a dedicated reuse coordinator or sustainability lead on projects makes a big difference.
Secondly, continued support from planning authorities is important. Planning requirements have already helped drive more reuse audits and circular practices.
Another key challenge is data sharing and communication. There are many reuse platforms and material passport systems, but sometimes there are so many that information becomes fragmented. Better coordination would make it easier to share data and reuse opportunities.
Finally, we need the right infrastructure and processes to make reuse business as usual. Initiatives like material reuse hubs are a great start, but they need to become more widespread across the country.
“In a nutshell,” Zoe says, “we need to make circularity the new normal.”
Encouraging new talent into the sector
As someone relatively new to the industry, Zoe believes there’s an important opportunity to encourage more people into circular construction roles.
Interestingly, the university course she studied is no longer running, something she sees as a missed opportunity.
I’d love to see more courses focused on sustainability and circular construction,” she says. “It’s such an important area and we need more people entering the sector with these skills and ideas.
About Reusefully
Reusefully is a consultancy specialising in circular economy solutions for the built environment. The team works with developers, contractors and project teams to identify opportunities to reuse materials during refurbishment and demolition projects. Through activities such as pre-demolition audits, material tracking and reuse strategies, Reusefully helps projects reduce waste, save embodied carbon and maximise the social and financial value of materials that might otherwise be discarded. Visit https://www.reusefully.co.uk/ for more information.