How to consider the circular economy in office fit out

The circular economy is an alternative to the standard, linear economy of make, use and dispose. Instead, it aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, and then recover or recycle the materials at end of life. It has become an increasingly prominent issue over the past few years, with the government now looking at new legislation to bring it into law.

A move to a circular economy is getting more important as Earth Overshoot Day gets earlier every year; Earth Overshoot Day is the date when humanity’s demand for resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can naturally regenerate in that year – in 2023 it was 19 May, and just two years ago in 2021, it was 29 July.

‘Transitioning to a circular economy entails decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. This represents a systemic shift that builds long-term resilience, generates business and economic opportunities, and provides environmental and societal benefits.’ - Ellen McCarthur Foundation

‘In a Circular Office, decision-making should seek to design out waste entirely and retain the maximum possible value of resources for as long as possible. The lifecycle of products and materials should be considered from the outset, with awareness of how the resources flow from procurement, through usage, to the end of service life.’ - The Prince’s Responsible Business Network.

Circularity is crucial to the whole lifespan of an office: from its design and construction, through to its use, operation, and eventual deconstruction.

Fit out and refurbishment projects are embracing the circular economy in the mere fact that the existing structure is retained and only the interior is changed, as opposed to demolishing and constructing a whole new building.

Design and construction – To make sure the office space is adaptable to change without wasting materials or products, both its present and future use should be a key consideration during the design phase:

• Waste should be designed out wherever possible through smart design, using new technologies and off-site prefabrication, as well as only ordering the amount of material needed.

• Designers should be specifying materials that are reused, reclaimed, or refurbished, or that contain high levels of recycled content.

• Spaces should be designed with easy deconstruction in mind to maximise reusability elsewhere at the end of their life.

‘The bulk of emissions for new buildings are front loaded, and twice as high as those from refurbished buildings.’ – Dave Cheshire, The Handbook to Building a Circular Economy.

One of the largest sources of carbon is embodied carbon - the carbon emitted in the sourcing of raw materials, and the manufacture, transportation and consumption of new products.

By reusing materials and products, keeping their value for as long as possible, we are reducing the need to source, manufacture and transport new raw materials, resulting in reduced embodied carbon.

Reusing existing materials is one of the best options for both reducing the carbon of an office fit out and embracing the circular economy. Through retaining the materials for their initial use, the quantity of materials having to be sourced or manufactured is minimised.

• Before starting a design and fit out, conduct a pre-refurbishment audit to identify what is existing in the space and what could be reused in the new office. Materials that cannot be reused can be donated or sold to be reused elsewhere.

• When selecting materials, consider specifying and installing reused or refurbished materials rather than new products.

• Reyooz case study – On our SWB and Quad project for Kings College London we used Reyooz to collect reusable materials and furniture from the project, who in turn were able to reuse the products with local charities and initiatives. Through this we were able to divert 5 tonnes of waste from landfill and incineration, saving approximately 23 tonnes of embodied carbon through reuse of the materials and donated materials equalling an approximate value of £62,000 to local good causes.

• RMF case study – On a project for BT in Birmingham we installed 17,000m2 of RMF’s Eco-range of reused raised access floor tiles. These are tiles that are stripped out from other projects, and cleaned, retested and refurbished before being reused. When comparing these tiles to a new tile from a leading manufacturer of raised access flooring, we saved around 97% of the embodied carbon.

Part of a successful circular office is ensuring longevity of the space and that it’s built to last. Often when a product has broken it is either in a sealed container or is too complex to be able to repair; for example, the internal components of iPhones are in a sealed unit that is difficult to take apart and fix. Longevity involves ensuring that the products installed are repairable, or replacement parts are widely available. Materials and equipment should be easily accessible throughout the space, including through access panels in the walls and ceilings for concealed plant.

Interface: Interface’s I2 tiling mimics the haphazard and random patterns of nature, where every tile is different in colour, pattern and texture. This means the tiles blend together no matter where or when they are purchased and installed, meaning if one tile is damaged it can be swapped out for a new tile without replacing the whole floor.

Philips lighting as a service: Philips lighting offers a ‘Pay per lux’ service, where a client pays Phillips for the light they consume rather than buying the lighting units themselves. Instead, they are paying for Philips’ designing, installing, maintaining, repairing and upgrading of the lighting. This means it is in Philips’ best interest to ensure the lighting is the most efficient, long lasting units they can be. At the end of the contract, the fittings are returned to Philips to be refurbished or upgraded to be used again.

Composite materials, made of different materials bonded together, should be avoided as they can’t easily be separated and recycled. Materials that are difficult to manage at end of life, such as PVC, should be avoided as well.

The programme of a project should be carefully considered to ensure enough time is given to the deconstruction process, allowing for removal in layers, which will maximise reusability and recyclability. A deconstruction programme that is too short will mean corners are cut, and the cut and carve process of traditional strip outs could occur.