SalvoFAIR: Construction professionals afternoon

In the UK 50 per cent more from demolition is now being destroyed than ten years ago, either being mulched, chipped, crushed or burned, or simply being landfilled.

At the Salvo Fair this year (1-2 July 2006) there is an extra day to give an opportunity for the trade to meet construction professionals to discuss the issue. Friday 30 June 2pm-7pm Salvo Fair Knebworth Construction Professionals & Media Afternoon. www.salvo-fair.com - admission is by ticket only (apply at admin@salvoweb.com or tel 020 8761 2316).

The problem is that the cost of trashing materials is small by comparison to the value of property, so fiscal penalties or incentives would have to be huge to encourage greater reuse.

A sensible solution would be to require all refurbishment and new build to incorporate a pecentage by value of reused materials, say 5 per cent to start with, and to load the percentage in cities to discourage material migration out to cheaper areas, so increasing transport and hence energy costs.

The UK is now destroying reclaimable materials containing enough embodied energy to power between 6m–12m homes a year.

There must be a solution, but it is beyond the salvage trade's ability to organise. It needs outside help.