London will become the global pioneer for innovative recycling centers after a groundbreaking new project was announced by the London Waste and Recycling Board yesterday.
With the receipt of a £500,000 grant, the board will begin designing and constructing the new facility, which will look to drastically cut down on the 25 million tonnes of construction-related waste being sent to landfills every year. The proposal, submitted by BioRegional and Croydon Appliance Reuse Centre, will see the inception of the UK’s first building materials reuse centre.
By collecting unwanted materials from DIY stores and housing developments, the centre will help keep valuable reusable resources from rotting in landfills each year. Additionally, the project will bring new jobs to the area along with a training programme for 40 new workers. The centre is expected to be able to divert 3,500 tonnes of reusable materials from landfill.
Currently, construction materials rank among the highest percentages of unreported waste in the UK. James Cleverly, London Waste and Recycling Board chairman, said that 9.7 million tonnes of demolition rubbish was produced in London just last year.
According to Mr Cleverly, the new reuse centre will be an innovative way to deal with a growing problem, and would serve to cut emissions and create much-needed jobs. BioRegional’s reclaimed materials manager, Jonathan Essex said the charity hoped to work with the project to build a template for three more similar facilities across the capital.
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