MoreThanWaste.com - Partners needed for Building Material Re-use Centres (21/01/2008)

A team of sustainable materials specialists have received funding from the Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse to set up Building Material Re-use Centres (BMRCs) in the UK.

The Centres will provide business and social opportunities for a wide range of stakeholders and will bring cut price reclaimed building products to small scale trade and the general public while reducing environmental impact, according to BioRegional Development Group. The team are looking for partners from social enterprises, local authorities and the building industry to work with them to deliver the Centres.

The team consists of experts from sustainable materials specialists BioRegional, WasteWISE and MASCo, who are working together to develop a Business Plan Toolkit and e-network for UK BMRCs. The aim of the project is to support the establishment of 3 to 5 different Centres across the UK.

ReStores in the USA

BMRCs or ReStores, as they are also known, already run successfully in most USA towns and cities. They are financially sustainable retail outlets that sell reusable building materials to trade and general public and can bring many additional benefits for the environment and community.

The specialist team identifies that there are already numerous social enterprises across the UK successfully retailing reusable materials such as wood and furniture. However, none have so far focussed on the huge opportunity presented by the reuse of building materials, which is a gap in the market that needs filling.

BioRegional says that, the team’s business model for BMRCs will be based on vibrant retail outlets, run as social enterprises. Outlets will source “as new” products from the excess materials of new build and regeneration projects and reclaimable materials from the wider building sector.

All the building products sold for reuse will replace the need to manufacture them as new. This has obvious advantages including saving the impacts associated with both manufacture and disposal, such as reducing C02 emissions, whilst creating employment, training and second-use affordable building materials.

Getting involved

There are two ways that interested parties can get involved:

Get in contact with the partners to discuss possible ways of working together to deliver the BRMCs and/or give critical input into the draft business plan toolkit during March 2008.

Comments will be fed into a final BRMC toolkit which BRMC partners can use to help set up Centres from April 2008 onwards.

The partners plan is to develop an e-network of potential BMRCs and support organisations across the UK to share materials and information, capture learning, develop a strong brand identity and influence national policy. The team want to hear from:

•       Social enterprises and community/training projects looking for expansion
•       Building sector companies looking to diversify or address waste management
•       Support organisations wanting to advise/assist projects and/or businesses
•       Other sector networks
•       Local authorities and other public sector organisations.

Further information

Anyone interested in discussing opportunities to work with the team on setting up BMRCs in the UK should contact:

Ronan Leyden, Reclamation Officer, BioRegional, ronan.leyden@bioregional.com 020 8404 4897

and/or Lewis Herbert, WasteWISE Consultants, lewis@wastewise.org.uk 01223 411699

Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse (CRR)

The CRR promotes remanufacturing and reuse and is funded by Defra. The aim is to develop policies and strategies that boost remanufacturing and reuse, helping businesses (both consumers of remanufactured goods and remanufacturers), governmental policy makers, OEMs and trade bodies to deliver more remanufactured goods and thus reduce our impact on the environment, and at a profit. www.remanufacturing.org.uk

BioRegional Development Group

BDG is an independent environment organisation dedicated to developing solutions for sustainable living. The Group has 10 years experience of working in sustainable materials including developing the sustainable construction materials strategy for BedZED the UK’s largest eco-village. www.bioregional.com

Waste Wise

WasteWISE are waste consultants developing recycling and reuse partnerships between commercial organisations and community organisations. www.wastewise.org.uk

MASCO

MASCO is one of Britain's largest suppliers of reclaimed architectural and traditional building materials with an industry renowned dismantling team. www.catbrain.com

[This article is adapted from a press release by Bioregional Development Group.]


	Partners needed for Building Material Re-use Centres (21/01/2008) A team of sustainable materials specialists have received funding from the Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse to set up Building Material Re-use Centres (BMRCs) in the UK. The Centres will provide business and social opportunities for a wide range of stakeholders and will bring cut price reclaimed building products to small scale trade and the general public while reducing environmental impact, according to BioRegional Development Group. The team are looking for partners from social enterprises, local authorities and the building industry to work with them to deliver the Centres. The team consists of experts from sustainable materials specialists BioRegional, WasteWISE and MASCo, who are working together to develop a Business Plan Toolkit and e-network for UK BMRCs. The aim of the project is to support the establishment of 3 to 5 different Centres across the UK. ReStores in the USA BMRCs or ReStores, as they are also known, already run successfully in most USA towns and cities. They are financially sustainable retail outlets that sell reusable building materials to trade and general public and can bring many additional benefits for the environment and community. The specialist team identifies that there are already numerous social enterprises across the UK successfully retailing reusable materials such as wood and furniture. However, none have so far focussed on the huge opportunity presented by the reuse of building materials, which is a gap in the market that needs filling. BioRegional says that, the team’s business model for BMRCs will be based on vibrant retail outlets, run as social enterprises. Outlets will source “as new” products from the excess materials of new build and regeneration projects and reclaimable materials from the wider building sector. All the building products sold for reuse will replace the need to manufacture them as new. This has obvious advantages including saving the impacts associated with both manufacture and disposal, such as reducing C02 emissions, whilst creating employment, training and second-use affordable building materials. Getting involved There are two ways that interested parties can get involved: Get in contact with the partners to discuss possible ways of working together to deliver the BRMCs and/or give critical input into the draft business plan toolkit during March 2008. Comments will be fed into a final BRMC toolkit which BRMC partners can use to help set up Centres from April 2008 onwards. The partners plan is to develop an e-network of potential BMRCs and support organisations across the UK to share materials and information, capture learning, develop a strong brand identity and influence national policy. The team want to hear from: • Social enterprises and community/training projects looking for expansion • Building sector companies looking to diversify or address waste management • Support organisations wanting to advise/assist projects and/or businesses • Other sector networks • Local authorities and other public sector organisations. Further information Anyone interested in discussing opportunities to work with the team on setting up BMRCs in the UK should contact: Ronan Leyden, Reclamation Officer, BioRegional, ronan.leyden@bioregional.com 020 8404 4897 and/or Lewis Herbert, WasteWISE Consultants, lewis@wastewise.org.uk 01223 411699 Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse (CRR) The CRR promotes remanufacturing and reuse and is funded by Defra. The aim is to develop policies and strategies that boost remanufacturing and reuse, helping businesses (both consumers of remanufactured goods and remanufacturers), governmental policy makers, OEMs and trade bodies to deliver more remanufactured goods and thus reduce our impact on the environment, and at a profit. www.remanufacturing.org.uk BioRegional Development Group BDG is an independent environment organisation dedicated to developing solutions for sustainable living. The Group has 10 years experience of working in sustainable materials including developing the sustainable construction materials strategy for BedZED the UK’s largest eco-village. www.bioregional.com Waste Wise WasteWISE are waste consultants developing recycling and reuse partnerships between commercial organisations and community organisations. www.wastewise.org.uk MASCO MASCO is one of Britain's largest suppliers of reclaimed architectural and traditional building materials with an industry renowned dismantling team. www.catbrain.com [This article is adapted from a press release by Bioregional Development Group.]