Resourcing the future: How to reuse assets, prevent waste, save money and why it matters Cat Fletcher @thisisfreegle @FreegleBrighton @WasteHouse @CityReuseDepot • Freegle UK – Director and Head of Media • Brighton Waste House team • Brighton & Hove Community & Voluntary sector Environment Rep • Reuse Manager at Brighton and Hove City Council • Brighton & Hove One Planet Living City- Zero Waste & Sustainable Materials action plans • City Reuse Depot founder • Vertical Disruptor Waste Interceptor Resource Goddess The world consumes 45-60 billion tonnes of raw materials every year. to make for 7 billion people 15% world population less than 2 billion people consumes 60% world resources www.worldwatch.org causes air pollution and carbon emissions huge water consumption and pollution uses fossil fuels for energy and transport Linear Economy: Take, Make, Break (legal definition Defra), UK govt.) UNDER INVESTED OVER INVESTED all that consumption makes a world of waste • about 4.5 million tonnes a day • that’s 1.9 billion tonnes every year • 30% of it uncollected (3.5 billion people - no waste management) • Of the collected waste • 70% is buried in landfills and dumpsites • 11% is burnt in energy recovery facilities • 19% is recycled or recovered • A person in UK makes 482Kgs waste every year • UK recycling rate only 43% Brighton and Hove • 273,000 population in 125,000 households - 421kg waste per person • B&H household recycling rate 25.2% • UK household recycling rate 43.9% • 2010 First Green Party MP elected Caroline Lucas • 2011 First Green Party Local Authority administration • 2013 First designated One Planet Living city in the world • City Council spends £778 million annually • £25 million on managing household waste • Employs 9,400 staff and provides 800 services with £25milion of cuts annually for next 5 years • For the city’s residents, 12,650 businesses, 30,000+ students and 10 million annual visitors #WASTE16• City waste: 62% from construction industry 19% commercial 18% household 1% toxic Brighton and Hove household recycling 30% 29% 2011-12 28% 27% 26% 25% 2015-16 24% Energy from waste facility built 2008-11 Started operating 2012 Dis-incentivises reuse and recycling Creates DEMAND for waste • FREE Giving Locally Easily • Online dating for unwanted stuff • www.ilovefreegle.org • Peer to peer online UK reuse network started in 2009 • ~1,000 tonnes of reuse facilitated monthly • 400+ locally run online reuse groups • 2.6 million members (citizens, charities, SMEs) • 1,000 volunteers • Don’t throw it away. Give it away. • It’s not waste until you waste it. Value of RE-USE = triple bottom line • Reduces carbon emissions • Saves money on waste disposal and procurement costs • Prevents unnecessary waste • Prevents pollution • Encourages repair and upcycling • Displaces the need to always buy new • Diversifies consumer options + patterns • Avoids reliance on finite new raw materials • Redistributes wealth and assets • Benefits people and planet and pocket • Creates employment • Generates goodwill • Social activity • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-prevention-programme-for- #WASTE16england What gets freegled? Anything legal……. #WASTE16 Brighton Waste House Europe’s first public building built with waste via a zero waste construction site. Opened in 2014. 90% materials used for construction were diverted from the bottom of the waste hierarchy. Cross-sector collaboration between University of Brighton, City College, Mears Group, Freegle with 350 volunteers and students. Why build out of waste? Construction and operation of buildings consumes 60% of all materials, results in 33% of all waste and accounts for 45% of CO2eq emissions in the UK. Combined normal building materials with experimental inclusion of unrecyclable and other commonly discarded goods. A test bed of innovation. Can we do something better than burn and bury obsolete stuff? #WASTE16 20,000 toothbrushes 2 tonnes denim jean legs Cladding….. 400,000 tonnes of old carpet is landfilled every year in UK Beautiful, functional, inspirational, affordable, replicable and AAA energy rated #WASTE16 Winner at 2015 RIBA Awards Outcomes Challenges • 8 national and local awards • RETHINK • 2 Royal Institute of British Architects Awards (RIBA) 2015 • Materials • 1 Special (RIBA) Sterling Prize Award 2015 • Design process • Procurement systems • Green Gown Award 2015 – highly commended • Project Management • Value system • Points of Light Award from UK Prime Minister 2015 • Waste management and ‘making change and inspiring others’ infrastructure • Construction methodology • Now in use as University of Brighton’s Sustainable Design • Service providers department office and classroom for MA course. • Time • Available for community events, school visits, public venue hire. • Space • Beacon of sustainable construction and eco design • Money • Birthed the City Reuse Depot and other projects • COLLABORATE 2013 Reuse Pilot: 125 person office clearance 17 tonnes goods redistributed for reuse £17K economic value into community 7.5 tonnes carbon saved £5k savings on prevented waste disposal Evidenced the savings and value in a different approach Before And 4 weeks later 41 filing cabinets, 94 pedestal drawers….. 122 desks Space and Logistics 2 tonnes of office accessories….. Over 2,000 items redistributed for reuse 7.5 tonnes carbon saved • Online system to facilitate reuse • Public , private and charity sectors network • Challenges and inspires staff behaviour change. • Measures outcomes • Bespoke reports • ££ savings • Carbon saved • Waste avoided Reuse Hove Town Hall 2014 Waste prevention of 138 tonnes : goods redistributed for reuse for Saving £35k against cost of waste disposal Brighton & creating £150k economic value back into the local area Hove City 62 tonnes carbon savings - offset authentic goodwill between community and council Council contributing to city and organisation resilience Contracted to facilitate reuse in Kings House 2016 for Brighton and Hove City Council • WHY? • Going paperless (reveals unwanted accessories/furniture for paper) • Modernising working spaces • Vacating buildings • Need to save money (cuts) • One Planet Living action plans and waste reduction targets • Carbon reduction targets (EU, national and local) • Value and outcomes of Council reuse evidenced since 2013. • Reuse proven ROI – cheaper than disposal Innovative • Reuse has bonus of social and environmental The first and only “REUSE manager” in a UK benefits local authority Private, Public and Voluntary sector collaboration with Citizens, Community and Arts organisations # Reuse is vital to creating a Circular Economy: Make, Use, Return It's not waste until you waste it. Tomorrow’s world is better organised and values people, planet and profit equally. RETHINK! @thisisfreegle @FreegleBrighton Links @WasteHouse @CityReuseDepot • Brighton & Hove City Council: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/environment/sustainability-city/one-planet-city • City Reuse Depot http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/city-reuse-depot • One Planet Living: http://www.bioregional.co.uk/oneplanetliving/ • Waste House http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/ease/wastehouse • Freegle UK http://www.ilovefreegle.org/ Local Freegle groups in Burgess Hill, Uckfield, Horsham, Crawley, Lewes, Brighton, Eastbourne, Worthing… • Warp It https://www.warp-it.co.uk/ • Brighton & Hove Community and Voluntary Sector http://bhcommunityworks.org.uk/ • Waste Duty of Care - explained • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice-read-online • University of Brighton student reuse project http://about.brighton.ac.uk/sustainability/campus/waste/reuse-project-2015/Ce • Waste Prevention Directive (EU requirement Dec13) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-prevention-programme-for-england • CONTACT • http://freegle.it/CatFletcher-ReUse-CV • https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cat-fletcher-94aa0128 • [email protected] • 07962449573 Cat Fletcher .