Cawarden reclaims materials for charity
28 February 2024
United Kingdom-based demolition specialist Cawarden has taken a unique approach to circular economy, by donating thousands of items from a full shell and core strip-out project.
As part of its works to prepare a 10-storey-high office block in central Birmingham for refurbishment, the company salvaged thousands of carpet tiles, various types of lighting, hundreds of roof tiles and even a fully equipped kitchen complete with appliances and serving counters.
The items were donated to a local mental health and addiction support charity called Nightlift Outreach, to help it equip a new community centre.
According to Cawarden, its donation consisted of more than 3,000 individual items that saved the charity over £10,000 in spending for its new community centre.
While the lighting, roof and floor tiles will improve the physical comfort and aesthetic appeal of the community centre, the donation of a fully equipped kitchen and serving counters will enable Nightlife Outreach to expand its services, by “allowing the organisation to extend its support more comprehensively, fostering a sense of community and care”.
Stephan Turner, COO of Nightlife Outreach, said: “As we prepare to unveil our new community centre, the impact of Cawarden’s donation will undoubtedly be felt by those seeking refuge and support in challenging times.”
Samuel Crooks, Contracts Director at Cawarden, said: “This collaboration is a prime example of our dedication to supporting local communities.
“It also emphasises our ongoing commitment to becoming more sustainable by promoting the reuse of materials from our projects.
“This approach is vital for achieving a more circular economy, reducing waste and emissions, and giving materials a second life.
“By doing so, we help organisations like Nightlife Outreach save money on purchasing new materials and they can instead focus their funds on other critical areas. We eagerly anticipate visiting their new space in the near future.”
According to Cawarden, which currently diverts around 97% of its waste materials away from landfill through reclamation, reuse and recycling, the community collaboration prevented over 13,000 kg of waste from going to landfill, and resulted in 13.1 tonnes of CO2 equivalents deferred.