This document discusses opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in green construction and reuse. It outlines two key opportunities: 1) Community-led enterprises focused on reusing surplus building materials and sustainable retrofitting. 2) Larger opportunities including developing an "EcoPark" where social enterprises focused on reuse and recycling could operate. The document then provides more details on the benefits of reuse for reducing waste and embodied carbon, and outlines some existing reuse center models. It suggests an EcoPark could maximize job creation, waste reduction, and carbon savings through colocating social enterprises focused on reclaimed materials.

1. Greenovation
How green construction brings opportunities
for entreprenuers and small-scale builders
EcoBuild 2011
Jonathan Essex
BioRegional Development Group

2. Greenovation – new enterprise opportunities
1. Community Led Innovation opportunities
Entrepreneur or community-led enterprises
• Re-use of surplus building products
• Sustainable Retrofit – introducing Local United
2. Larger opportunities
• EcoPark for Social Enterprises
• Reclaimed materials

3. Why Reuse – Why Focus on Resources?
The Problem: Waste in
the UK
•335 million tonnes of
waste each year
• 29.7 million tonnes of
municipal waste
• 90 million tonnes of
inert construction waste

4. Why Reuse – A Waste Priority
UKAs a society, we are
Waste Hierarchy
consuming natural resources
As at society, we are rate …
a an unsustainable
consuming natural resources
Our goal is to make the
at an unsustainable rate …
transition towards what the
Our goal and BioRegional call
WWF is to make the
transition towards what the
‘One Planet Living’.
WWF and BioRegional call
‘One Planet Living’.
Defra Waste Strategy (2007)

5. Why Reuse – Cut Embodied Carbon
down-cycling
Taken from the Low Carbon
Construction Innovation and
Growth Team Final Report, 2010

6. Why Reuse – Construction Benefits
• Reduce Waste. There are surplus reusable items
even on sites where waste prevention minimises
packaging, damage and on-site waste.
• Save resources and ‘Embodied’ Carbon. Reuse is
part of culture change towards preventing waste.
• Better Site Management. Research shows this is
not a priority for most site managers – who need a
simple solution, to collect from all sites in an area
and reuse locally. SWMP and CSR.

7. Why Reuse – Wider Benefits
• Business model is tried and tested in US.
• Utilise vacant land assets
• Reused Building Materials Cheaper than New
• Links to Trainee and Apprenticeship Schemes

8. Why Reuse – Create New Jobs
Benefits to the Government
NI 006: Participation in regular volunteering
N117: 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education training or employment
NI151: Overall employment rate as a % of the working age population.
NI 153: Working age people claiming out of work benefits in the worst
performing neighborhoods
"This course means the world to me because
it's given me a direction and goal to fulfill. It's
given me self motivation, sense of
responsibility and new skills which I thought I
could never have achieved." - StMungo’s Client
As well as Environment
NI 193: Percentage of municipal waste landfilled
NI 196: Improved street and environmental
cleanliness

9. 1. Community Enterprises in Construction
• Re-use of surplus building products
• Reclaimed materials - Timber Reuse and Recycling
• Sustainable Retrofit – introducing Local United

10. Can we fix it?
Barriers to Reuse ReIY Solutions
Time and Lack of
commitment
Lack of space and
cost of land
Labour Intensive
Process

11. Yes We Can!
Barriers to Reuse ReIY Solutions
Time and Lack of
commitment
Reusing surplus
product and
Lack of space and reclamation are big
cost of land opportunities to save
waste, carbon and
money.
Labour Intensive

12. Yes We Can!
Barriers to Reuse ReIY Solutions
Efficient collection service
Time and Lack of
Reports for SWMP
commitment
and CSR
Acquire Storage yard
Lack of space and
Partner with LA, housing
cost of land
association, training centre
Labour (not plant/resource)
Labour Intensive intensive. Employ trainees and
volunteers.

13. Solution: Reuse It Yourself Centres

14. Stores open so far:
Scotland www.yooz.me. South London www.arc-croydon.org.uk.
Middlesbrough www.rebne.co.uk.
Kent www.concepttraining.co.uk

15. http://www.nef.org.uk/communities/local-united.html
Download Business Plan and How-To Guide
www.reiy.net
www.nef.org.uk/communities/local-united.html.

16. http://www.nef.org.uk/communities/local-united.html
Wider Set of Enterprise Packs available
www.communitywoodrecycling.org.uk
Also
transport,
hydro, AD,
wind and
food
enterprises.
www.nef.org.uk/communities/local-united.html.

17. 2. EcoPark and wider challenges
• Reclaimed Materials - see www.salvoweb.com.
• EcoPark for Social Enterprises

18. Reuse and Recycling Projects

19. Social Enterprise EcoPark to maximise job
creation, waste reduction and carbon saved

20. Social Enterprise EcoPark over 20 acres

21. London Reuse Network
© LCRN

22. Scaling up Reuse
© LCRN

23. Political buy-in for reuse
© LCRN

24. Capital consumption report (London)

25. Current drivers incentivise biomass
Overall
incentive

26. Reuse would create new jobs
25 jobs
2 – 4 jobs
1 job

27. EcoPark starting with empty site?

28. Or opportunity like this disused airfield?

29. Reuse empty land and buildings
www.meanwhile.org.uk
www.theplacestation.org.uk

30. Over to You.
Discussion.