Olympic Park- how much material from the site has been recycled or reused?

London, UK

Over 95 per cent of 10827 tonnes of demolition materials from the Olympic Park is being recycled or reused so far, beating the 90 per cent target set out in the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) Sustainable Development Strategy earlier this year.

The Olympic Delivery Authority also announced that over 20 per cent of the overall site has now been cleared showing it is on track to clean up most of the land by summer 2008, one of the key Milestones to Beijing published two weeks ago.

Over 9823 tonnes of the materials from the demolition of buildings on the Eton Manor and Clays Lane areas of the Olympic Park has been sorted and prepared for reuse on site. A further 638 has been recycled or reclaimed off site. Designers will incorporate recycled materials into the Olympic Park, such as the 70 tonnes of quality York stone walling already reclaimed and stockpiled. Other materials that will be reused include:

* 9741 tonnes of crushed brick and concrete
* 10 tonnes of reclaimed London stock bricks
* 2 tonnes of roofing tiles

Over 90 per cent is being recycled or reused on site and over five per cent of demolition material has been reclaimed or recycled off site, including timber turned into chipboard, plasterboard turned into gypsum powder and steel recycled as scrap. The remainder, less than five per cent, including 161 tonnes of asbestos, has been safely disposed of in licensed landfill sites. Also, furniture removed from buildings is being supplied to an organisation that provides low cost furniture to schools and community groups.

The ODA is demolishing buildings and cleaning up the land as it gains possession ahead of the next phase of demolition which begins in July, when the ODA gains full possession of the whole Olympic Park site.

During a nine month programme 256 buildings will be demolished, most of them industrial, and again, wherever possible, materials will be reused or recycled.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: "We want London 2012 to be the greenest Games in modern times and have set ourselves tough targets to recycle or reuse materials wherever possible. These figures show we are not only meeting our commitments, we are beating them. They also show that we are firmly on track to have most of the site cleared and cleaned by Beijing 2008.

"We are setting new standards in sustainable construction and our contractors deserve credit for meeting the challenge."

In November work started demolishing buildings on the Eton Manor area (formerly the Eton Manor Clubs sports facilities) and some of the former University of East London buildings on the Clays Lane estate.

Of 10827 tonnes of demolition materials:

* 638 tonnes have been recycled or reclaimed off site.
* 176 tonnes of timber recycled for chipboard
* 326 tonnes of metals reused as scrap
* 30 tonnes of plasterboard turned into gypsum powder
* 106 tonnes of general waste recycled (plastic bottles, cans, tyres, etc)

9823 tonnes have been sorted and stored to be recycled and reused on site, including:

* 9741 tonnes of crushed brick and concrete
* 70 tonnes of Yorkstone walling
* 10 tonnes of reclaimed London stock bricks
* 2 tonnes of roofing tiles

366 tonnes of waste that could not be reused or recycled has been disposed in licensed landfill, including:

* 161 tonnes of asbestos safely removed and transported
* 205 tonnes of general waste

256 buildings will be demolished during a nine month demolition programme starting in July, including 244 former business and industrial units. An asbestos survey will be carried out on every building to establish safe demolition and waste management procedures.

Taken from Olypic Games 2012 website


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