European Week for Waste Reduction: How we are utilising sustainable construction practices.

At Hawkland, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.

This year, we’re excited to be part of European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), which runs from November 16th to 24th, 2024. The EWWR is the biggest campaign in Europe for raising awareness about waste prevention. It promotes the modern waste hierarchy (R Ladder) that prioritises reduction, reuse, repair and refurbishment, with an emphasis on reducing consumption, reusing materials, and recycling waste responsibly. It’s an opportunity for businesses, communities, and individuals to come together and contribute to a more sustainable future.

At Hawkland, we’re embracing these principles, especially through our collaboration with Jenny Ford from Materials in Mind. As part of our whole-house retrofit project, we’re working closely with Jenny to develop a comprehensive waste management strategy. This strategy prioritises deconstruction over demolition, ensuring that we carefully assess materials for reuse and recycling rather than discarding them. By focusing on reducing the waste generated during the renovation, we’re able to maximise the potential of materials that can be reused or sold, and recycle responsibly when that’s not possible.

The work we’re doing with Materials in Mind reflects the core values of the waste hierarchy and directly aligns with the objectives of EWWR. Through this collaboration, we’re not only exceeding tougher environmental standards but also contributing to a broader movement of waste reduction and sustainable consumption. By rethinking how we manage materials and waste in construction, we’re helping to set new benchmarks for sustainability in the industry.

As we continue this project, we are proud to celebrate European Week for Waste Reduction and highlight the importance of reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling. We hope that by sharing this journey, we can inspire others to consider how they can contribute to waste reduction and adopt more sustainable practices in their own work and lives.