ReYorkshire – circular economy initiative

Committed to sustainable construction, YORhub is keen to raise awareness of a regional project focused on encouraging greater reuse of materials and resource sharing across York and North Yorkshire.

ReYorkshire is funded through the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) and aims to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and support the transition to a more circular economy. ReYorkshire will work with organisations across the industrial, commercial, construction and agricultural sectors to identify opportunities for materials and products to be reused rather than discarded. The programme will also explore pilot projects that demonstrate practical approaches to keeping valuable resources in circulation for longer.

The first stage of the project involves mapping stakeholders across the region and exploring the opportunities for reuse and materials sharing across sectors.  The data already collated includes 128,000 companies and 5,900 charities. The headline so far is that packaging, industrial land reuse and building retrofit materials are the largest three matching opportunities. As extra data and specific matching opportunities are added into the emerging ReYorkshire Knowledge Platform, the team can further target and prioritise activities, including regional piloting.

An initial pilot focused on construction materials reuse aims to keep surplus and reclaimed materials in use locally rather than being treated as waste. The project is engaging with contractors, developers, suppliers and community organisations to explore the creation of a materials reuse hub, helping to connect excess construction materials with households, community groups, charities and local projects. Longer term, the initiative could support wider circular economy activity across the region by encouraging resource sharing and reducing waste.

A construction materials reuse hub could bring many benefits to the local area it operates in, environmentally, socially and economically. Reuse of materials (or even ensuring that surplus materials get used at least once) decreases waste, maximises resource use, reduces carbon emissions and gives local communities and charities access to reduced cost materials. These positive impacts can all be reflected in ESG and TOMS reporting, demonstrating the potential benefits of getting involved.

By highlighting opportunities to reduce waste, share resources and support more sustainable ways of working, ReYorkshire aligns closely with the ambitions of many organisations involved in delivering public sector construction and infrastructure projects across the region, including YORhub. The programme forms part of wider efforts to support a circular economy in York and North Yorkshire, helping businesses and communities reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency and maximise the value of materials that might otherwise go to waste.

If you are interested in getting involved and/or attending the session on the 2^nd October – contact: [email protected]

More information about the initiative is available on the ReYorkshire website