Case Study - CHARM virtually plastic free homes
Project Summary
CHARM virtually plastic free homes, the first project of its kind in Europe, is transforming the site of a former factory carpark into one bedroom apartments for local people.
Owned and built by housing and care provider GreenSquareAccord, the ground-breaking development based in Redditch will provide 12 affordable homes built using plastic free alternatives to reduce environmental impact.
The project is the result of collaborative working with Redditch Borough Council and is part of the CHARM (Circular Housing Asset Renovation & Management) partnership, made up of representatives from four European countries: the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The new homes are constructed using timber panels from GreenSquareAccord’s award winning, low carbon manufacturing facility, LoCaL Homes. Each apartment will feature high end finishes, with plastic free alternatives installed such as wooden kitchen units and aluminium window frames, wiring using a mineral based insulation rather than the usual plastic, and solar thermal heating systems which will provide low running costs.
The project has received £1.2m EU funding from the Interreg North-West Europe funding partnership, allowing GreenSquareAccord to research the reduction and removal of plastic in a real world large scale project; paving the way for a future of plastic free construction.
Key facts/highlights
- First project of its kind in the UK
- Close panel timber frame construction
- MMC panels constrcuted in factory conditions
- Designed for easy assmebly
- Designed for disassembly and re-assembly
- Elimination of plastic in building materials wherever possible
- Plastic free windows
- Plastic free bathroom and kitchen fittings
- Project saves 65 tonnes per dwelling of material use
- Project includes 125 tonnes of recycled materials
- 15 tonnes per dwelling are components
specifically designed for easy-to-use, resulting in increased material recovery in case the whole dwelling is not relocated at the end its life cycle
Plastic substitution highlights
| Product type | Material/product used |
| Floor finishes | Sisal carpet tiles Marmolum |
| Kitchen | Timber |
| Bathrooms | Ceramic |
| Cladding | Cementitious bord |
| Below ground insulation | Foamglass |
| Insulation | Mineral wool |
| Product type | Material/product used |
| Wiring | Mineral insulated cable |
| Guttering | Aluminium |
| Adhesives/sealants | Marmox |
| Paint | Graphenstone |
| Drainage pipes | Clay |
| Soil pipes | Cast iron |
| Door finish | Tung oil |
Key information
Project name | CHARM virtually plastic free homes |
Location | Redditch, West Midlands, UK |
Project type (e.g. new build) | New build |
Sector (e.g. social housing, private, mixed) | Social housing |
Size/no. of dwellings | 12 |
Project stage (e.g. planning, design) | Completed |
| Client | Accord Housing Association |
| Partner | Redditch Borough Council |
| Manufacturer | LoCal Homes |
| Developer | Accord Housing Association |
