News
We sponsored BISNOW's ESG conference at The Law Society this year, presenting our circular economy services and engaging in valuable discussions with industry leaders about material reuse.
Director Rob Smith presented a CPD for British Council for Offices members. The CPD covered material reuse and the circular economy in practise.
Instructed by McLaren Construction Group, we were asked to secure a reuse solution for 2,500m2 light grade Bathgate BG3L 26mm panels from a British Landsite in Mayfair.
The project team had already approached reuse partners without success, but we're not ones to back down from a good challenge! Our extensive network delivered - finding a reuse outcome and saving 46.5 tCO₂e of embodied carbon, along with value returned to the client.
This outcome not only prevents valuable materials from going to waste, but also demonstrates the reach and effectiveness of our reuse trade network.
Engaged by the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, we found reuse pathways for over 800 bricks from a recent exhibit. Working quickly with trade and social value partners, the bricks were collected within days - some are now being reused for a student-led "climate + social action" pond project at a Camden school, while the remainder went to a reclaimed brick yard for recirculation into sustainable construction.
We're pleased to have supported BEAM's 33 Cavendish Square redevelopment project by providing a highly granular Pre-Demolition Audit. The scheme, which proposed a landmark West End destination with 75,000 sqm of sustainable Grade A office space, has submitted a planning application to Westminster City Council.
Material broker Venetia represented Material Index in the annual Property Padel Tournament in support of The Story of Christmas - a charity dedicated to helping vulnerable children and families during the festive season.
Thanks to JLL for organising, the event was a great success - full of energy, friendly competition, and raising over £10,000 for charity.
80 CMD RAF floor boxes and plugs were set to be stripped out from a commercial site in Poplar. Instead of going to waste, Material Index intercepted the process, secured a buyer, and prepared the materials for collection.
The outcome? Delivered directly to a workspace provider that supports artists, designers, and small businesses - soon to be installed in new offices and studios in Maida Vale.
No request, whether buying or selling secondary materials, is ever too late.
We partnered with Overbury to source reclaimed materials for their site offices, supplying everything from carpet tiles to office furniture. So far have saved 18.5 tCO₂e of embodied carbon - equivalent to driving 740,000 miles in a petrol/diesel car. A great example of how reused materials can significantly reduce carbon impact while delivering quality workspace solutions.
19 Charterhouse Street, Farringdon has secured unanimous planning consent - a 85,000 sq ft low-carbon office scheme with BNF Capital Limited. The DSDHA-designed development targets BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5*, and WELL Platinum, with construction starting Q1 2026. Material Index completed a pre-demolition Audit working closely with DSDHA, Sweco and team.
We're absolutely thrilled to have won a Circular Buildings Coalition Grant!
Over the next six months, we’ll create open-access costing tools to make deconstruction and material reuse viable at the earliest decision points. With a goal to enable any project team to plan for reuse with confidence.
Our brokering team have been busy diverting assets from landfill and facilitating reuse. Recent wins include diverting office furniture, catering equipment, and steel tanks.
Material Exchange Lead Oliver competed in Jumpstart's Big Startup 5K in Battersea Park.
Last month, we worked with Structure Tone London to salvage 12.2 tonnes of steel beams from Google's HQ!
We had a fantastic time hosting our summer Circularity Drinks at The Exmouth Arms! It was brilliant to connect with so many passionate people from every corner of the industry.
Last week, the Material Index team enjoyed a fantastic afternoon at Trigon DM's charity rounders tournament, finishing in a competitive second place alongside our friends from Turley, Frasers Property UK, and Velocity. A huge thank you to Trigon DM for hosting such a fun and well-organised event!
Our audit team recently completed two retail-focused audits in Glasgow, evaluating the potential for asset reuse at Buchanan Galleries and Glasgow Fort. The team collaborated with landlords, tenants, and consultants to meticulously catalogue materials, components, and fixtures, ultimately identifying significant opportunities for cost and carbon savings.
Material Index is leading discussions around circularity within universities, enabling campus-wide material exchange through better inventory management and early audits. We've partnered with estates across the country, helping them understand what a portfolio approach to circularity looks like.
Commercial Partnerships Lead, Venetia represented Material Index at the British Council for Offices Conference in Milan this year. The three-day event brought together leaders from across the Built Environment to explore best practices, emerging trends, and the future of office spaces.
Great to have exhibited at Footprint +, where our team showcased the services we provide at Material Index. Our CEO, Morgan Lewis, also led a panel discussion on “Digitisation Across the Circular Economy,” joined by experts from British Land, General Demolition, and the Cast Group.
Operations Director Rob Smith participated in a panel hosted by British Land at UK REiiF last week. The Material Index team also exhibited at the event which connects with industry professionals across the Real Estate and Construction sectors.
Acting on behalf of a developer client Material Index worked with their reuse partners to ensure that this inventory of 60,000 bricks, reclaimed from a site in London, went back into the supply chain for reuse.
Back in October, we helped the London Legacy Development Corporation maximise reuse while redeveloping the "Old Ford" Wastewater Recycling Centre. Tomorrow CEO Morgan Lewis will be speaking about the project.
Senior Product Lead Tom Bunn and Auditor Niko Brewster recently met UCL's first year Civil Engineering students as part of a workshop on material reuse within the construction sector.
We're proud to have completed over 100 in-depth digital audits and material passports! We hosted a webinar to showcase our efforts and discuss how our audits and passports support the circular economy.
Our CEO, Morgan Lewis, chaired a panel discussion last week around policy changes in the circular economy.
Panelists included GPE, ReLondon, British Land and Westminster City Council.
This year we had the pleasure of hosting a circular economy talk and Q&A session around reuse at the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) stand at FutureBuild.
We are thrilled to be speaking at Futurebuild 2025 next week! Join us on 5th March at Excel, London and be part of the conversation on Circular Economy in Construction, as we give practical advice on reusing material at scale.
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Material Index were invited to join a panel discussion held at this year's Surface Design Show. The panel, which is hosted by Journalist Helen Parton, will discuss circularity, reuse and building a sustainable future.
We’re excited to share that Co-founder, Morgan Lewis, recently presented our circular economy services at the UKGBC Innovation Showcase.
We've moved office!
Our brand new location is Techspace, 140 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7DY. Please do pop in for a coffee or catch-up, we’d love to show you around.
On Tuesday 26th November 2024, Material Index attended the launch of the first-ever Habitat for Humanity ReStore in the UK. This pioneering retail initiative in Romford aims to provide accessible and affordable home improvement materials, whilst reducing landfill waste and championing the circular economy.
We pleased to have been welcomed into the Finishes and Interiors Sector membership organisation.
FIS do great work bringing together key industry players in the fit out supply chain from specialist contractors, to manufacturers and suppliers.
Material Index would like to introduce Olivia Daw, our Materials Audit Lead.
Material Index are proud to announce we have been selected for the Made Smarter Innovation Sustainability Accelerator, alongside HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd, with the aim to improve resource and energy efficiency in the UK manufacturing sector.
This week Material Index had the pleasure of meeting the Godfather of Material Reuse; Duncan Baker-Brown!
It was great to be part of the first ever Jumpstart 5k fun run around Battersea Park yesterday.
Our co-founder Morgan Lewis was profiled in the latest issue of the Cambridge University Land Society (CULS) magazine.
The Pitch is a brand-new platform at UKREiiF 2024 for innovators, disruptors, and problem-solvers to promote their business to investors and a top-level panel of industry leaders at.
This week Material Index had the pleasure of hosting a stand at Future Build 2024, where we had the opportunity to make some fantastic new connections and meet with people and businesses interested in reuse in construction.
We are honoured to be shortlisted for the prestigious William Sutton Prize, appearing alongside winners Bell Phillips, Building with Nature and great projects from Allies and Morrison, Bridport Cohousing and Urban Growth Learning Gardens.