Reclaimed tiles put carbon and cost through the floor

The challenge

Given that the built environment contributes to 60% of global material waste, it is increasingly imperative for it to become more circular. In other words, to strive for greater reuse of materials and reduce embodied carbon. It is still all too common for building components to be discarded as standard. A change is needed in both process and behaviour to make direct reuse of components an automatic consideration.

Raised Access Flooring (RAF) is a prime candidate for circular practices. It makes up such a significant part of a building’s footprint and the tiles comprise of robust materials such as steel, vinyl and granite or other masonry. Because of this, their lifespan need not end after one application. Studies of specific reclaimed flooring products have shown a carbon reduction of 50% compared to installing a new flooring system. This supports client aspirations of improving  BREEAM  scores and overall net zero ambitions.

The approach

60 Sloane Avenue is a mixed-use development located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Mace has recently completed a CAT A and extensive refurbishment of the site. The project set ESG goals to pursue sustainable solutions and is currently targeting BREEAM Very Good.

4000m² of existing Raised Access Flooring at the site was reused following the strip out, as well as an additional 4000m² of TFA’s Eco Tile product that had been reclaimed from other sites. The tiles are stripped out and undergo D-tac cleaning and testing to ensure their suitability. These reclaimed panels offer a significant carbon saving and align with Mace’s circular economy principles.

The conclusion

Impressively, the decision to use reclaimed materials not only brought significant sustainability benefits, saving 400 tonnes of carbon for the project, it was also of great benefit to overall cost. By reusing flooring tiles, we were able to save over £100,000 compared to ordering new tiles. Rigorous quality testing is important to ensure that these circular solutions still meet required standards.

As the built environment seeks to embed circular material practices throughout operations, our work at Sloane Avenue demonstrates that a green supply chain can also be a profitable one, with carbon reduction not coming at a price, but a saving.