Are you running a SMART business?

Happy Monday to all of your in the blogosphere.  Anybody out there running a SMART business?  If you're not, time is running out...

SMART is a fantastic project being run here at BSK for companies in the construction industry.  It's all about Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology and it offers businesses support to help them become more 'sustainability saavy'. 

Like CAP'EM, SMART is funded by the EU so all the support is free to your business and there are some great offers:

• FREE Workshops Part L and RHI
• Business Development Days
• Marketing for Construction and other publicity opportunities
• Retrofitting opportunities for small traders
• Code for Sustainable Homes-legislation
• Retrofitting focus-opportunities and advantages of sustainable practice and materials
• Marketing Your Green Credentials
• Case Studies

Don't get left behind...these opportunities are only around for 2 more months so Click Here to take advantage!

You heard it here...

Best Wishes,

Follow SMART on Twitter

Get free SMART Eco-Materials Cards.  Call Katie on 08457 22 66 55

The Cycle of Stuff...

When you spend each day living and breathing eco-materials, you start to think about the ethos behind eco a little more broadly.

For instance, CAP'EM focuses on eco-materials in construction.  Many of the CAP'EM materials are derived from natural products which means that the fundamental building block of the product is renewable.  But what do you do if you live or work in a situation that involves stuff that doesn't fit into this renewable way of thinking? 

So much of materials decision making comes down to needs versus budget.  And whilst the whole life cost argument is compelling and rightfully so (For those who don't know- whole life cost considers the impact of the product on more than just your pocketbook), sometimes the renewable products on offer just don't meet the specification.

Example- when fitting out Build4, we were in desperate need of tables for our mezzanine level.  The budget said we couldn't afford brand new conference tables.  Sustainable tables were difficult to source and expensive. My heart said that I didn't  want something new made of chipboard and formeldyhyde infused glue- not to mention the carbon footprint of something most likely made in the far east.  My head told me that there must be a marketplace for buying these things second hand because after all, in the waste hierarchy, re-using comes before re-cycling. 

And of course there is a marketplace and it is alive and kicking.  Which is why we have wooden folding tables (with a 1950s vibe), built to NATO specifications for the British Army and rescued from the Ministry of Defence for a knock down rate of  £25 per table.  The British Army didn't need them anymore and they augmented our upcycled cabinet beautifully!

One of the organisations that turned up on my Google search  for second hand tables and chairs was a social enterprise called FRN- Furniture Recycling Network.  Lo and behold FRN turned up this new year in an excellent collaboration with IKEA to encourage people to donate their used furniture locally.  What a great way to close the second-hand loop!

I wonder how long a great re-using loop could go on with no need to produce anything new.  I think we probably have produced enough stuff to keep us all going for a while...yes, I do realise that there are employment ramifications at play here, but for arguments' sake, we could train people in craft and maintenance skills...

My point, in a roundabout sort of way is there is never one correct answer to the sustainabiltiy question.  Your needs will dictate your path and if you think that new is too expensive, what about looking at second hand?  What better way to honour the resources and people that produced something than by giving it another life?  And while you're at it, think about how you might ethically dispose of the item you're replacing.  To start you off- a list of ideas follow:

Give them away at:
Freecycle
FRN (find local donation centres here)

Or try to earn a little extra cash by selling through:
Gumtree
Preloved
Second hand tables and chairs

Do you know of any other good organisations that support re-using?  Let us know in the comment section!

Best wishes,

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a nice Christmas break and recycled all that gift wrap!

Today is our first day back at Build4 and catching up on email, I received a link from Fred, one of our Dutch partners.  There's so much creativity and innovation coming from the Netherlands- have a look at this:
Agrodome's Demonstration Centre .  I'm looking forward to a visit later this month and will post some pics to share with you all.

In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, Build4 has made a resolution to get more people through the door. So if you are looking for a place in Kent to host a meeting, get in touch with us.  Build4 is available for this purpose and is set up with wi-fi, tables/chairs, and caffeine!  As we're publicly funded, there is no charge to use our space and its a great opportunity to learn a bit more about eco-materials at the same time.

Find more information for hiring this space go to Build4 .

Best wishes,

Product Highlight- New Life Paints

Leave it to a chemist...

One of the great things about the CAP'EM project is learning about all the clever and innovative little companies that are out there trading.  Take for instance New Life Paint.  Here's an example of a product that keeps popping up on my radar.

First, I happened upon their website last winter when I was googling 'Recycled Paint'.  So I thought, let's include them in our 'paint wall'- they're a good example of a company that is taking a waste product and giving it a new life (Ahem- hence the name I guess...).  A couple of weeks later, I spoke to a Brighton based designer, Claire Potter, who was providing use with some upcycled furniture for the centre and she uses New Life paint regularly (she is just up the road from them). 

Then...New Life paint was highlighted in Retail Packaging magazine because they have been chosen as the B&Q's paint provider for their new Home Eco range.  That's right...a tiny company down in West Sussex is supplying an Eco Range paint for the biggest DIY chain in the country.  Not bad going!

I love the story behind New Life paint.  After a bit of 'gentle-requesting' from his wife to tidy up the garage, Keith Harrison, an industrial chemist, looked at all the paint tins they had and thought it a waste to just throw them away so he tried to find a place where he could recycle the paint.  But nobody was doing it- spot the gap in the market!

Keith spent two years researching a way to recondition waste paint until he arrived at the magic formula and New Life paints was born.  But really, they tell the story so well themselves, why not visit them and have a look at what they're doing here. 

New Life Paint is one of the UK companies that CAP'EM are assessing with an LCA.  Keep an eye on the CAP'EM website for the more technical information behind the LCA.

And if you're planning a little DIY over Christmas, New Life Paints can be found at Covers, Bunce's and G&S (if your'e in Sussex) or online (if you're not.).

Merry Christmas from,

Welcome to the Build4 Blog!

Welcome!  This is the first Build4 post to get us started down a path of exciting new things to come in 2012. 


Wondering what its all about?  Here's a potted history...

You thought it wasn't possible to get the English, Belgians, Dutch, French and Germans to evaluate and promote eco-construction materials together?

...We do it!

1 Common LCA method used by 10 partners across 5 countries to evaluate the impacts of 100 building materials explained in 8 demonstration centre, all available free of charge on 1 internet site:

http://www.capem.eu/

Build4 Sustainable Construction Demo Centre is one of the UK demonstration centres (another one is coming soon in Huddersfield for you readers up north!).  CAP'EM is funded through InterregIVB (**jargon buster- that's the EU to you and me) and exists to help you understand more about the benefits of using eco-materials in construction.  It also exists to let you all know about the great eco-products that are widely available to use in your building projects.


I hope, dear readers, that you will make this a two way street!  Do you know of any fantastic eco-materials that you'd like to recommend to others?  Let me know and we'll see if we can't get a nice long list going!

Best Wishes From,