Furthering its commitment to sustainability, Futurebuild’s Waste Zone will play host to over 50 international circular economy industry specialists, including the father of the Cradle to Cradle design concept, Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, alongside other industry experts including Dr. Zoe Laughlin and Mark Miodownik from the Institute of Making, UCL.

As UK Government pushes towards a circular economy with its new Waste and Resource Strategy, the Zone’s ‘Waste Talk’ seminar sessions will draw upon examples and insights from across the world to inspire and educate visitors into taking steps to support the move away from the industry’s current throwaway culture. Professor Braungart’s keynote address will look at the strategies that need to be put in place to support a truly circular economy. Running at 3pm on 06 March, the session will be followed by a Q&A session hosted by the Waste Zone’s curator, renowned architect and author of ‘The Re-Use Atlas: a designer’s guide towards a circular economy’, Duncan Baker-Brown.

Bigger and bolder than ever before, The University of Brighton Responsible Futures’ Waste Zone, is supported by BBM Sustainable Design. The three-day seminar programme will include sessions exploring ways in which waste materials can be integrated into construction projects, how existing buildings can be deconstructed instead of demolished, and how new buildings can be designed as material stores for the future.

Duncan Baker-Brown said:

“In 2017 London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) identified that by 2036 a Circular Economy could provide London with net benefits of up to £7bn per annum, with up to 12,000 new jobs. I feel that the construction industry is very well placed to take advantage of this. So, I have invited as many designers, constructors, and suppliers from across the world as I can think of to share their knowledge, and hopefully inspire visitors to take advantage of the financial and employment benefits a Circular Economy will provide.”

“We have over 20 experts from the Netherlands and Denmark coming over to join us in London in a few weeks, these people will provide invaluable insight from their forward-thinking markets around issues of Cities and the Circular Economy. We’re very excited to have these experts, such as Eveline Johkoff, Strategic Advisor for Sustainability & the Circular Economy at the Municipality of Amsterdam, joining us.”

Complimenting the Waste Talk theatre content will be the new-for-2019 Circular Economy Hub, a dedicated marketplace for visitors to meet exhibiting brands to take a closer look at new and emerging materials, systems, and products. The Hub will take the form of unique beach huts, developed and provided by the School of Architecture & Design at the University of Brighton, and with a firm focus on ensuring zero waste. Exhibitors taking part in the Circular Economy Hub will be those personally invited and hand-picked by Duncan Baker-Brown, including Amsterdam and Biohm.

Daily Seminar Breakdown
Day one will kick off with Duncan’s introduction to the Waste Zone followed by presentations and Q&A sessions with four expert speakers from the world of waste/resource management in ‘The problem with waste? …There’s no such thing as waste!’ at 10:30am. The day will look to define a Circular City and the processes and materials needed to achieve this, as well as exploring existing successes.

Day two will focus on examining exemplar projects that are leading the way and setting the standard in circular in the world of architecture, design and corporate build. Conversations will continue around Circular Cities and, as well as Professor Braungart’s keynote presentation, the seminars will discuss ‘The Miracle of Plastic’ and the material’s ability to help us achieve a Circular Economy.

On day three, the social benefits of circular will be in the spotlight and visitors will be able to hear from six start-ups from LWARB’s Advance London Advisory Programme as they discuss how they’re working to drive circular economy innovation in the built environment sector. The final day will close with Duncan Baker-Brown leading the discussion on the potential for employment and wealth while drastically reducing resource consumption.

Other key speakers across the three days include Doug Simpson, Principal Policy and Programme Officer from the GLA; Gilli Hobbs, Director Building Performance Group at BRE; and Clare Ollerenshaw, Circular Economy Manager for London Waste and Recycling Board.

Martin Hurn, managing director of Futurebuild Events, said:

“Following on from the extraordinary success of the Waste Zone seminars in 2018 – which were oversubscribed by 40% – we’ve worked with Duncan to make this year’s programme over 50% larger.”

“The Waste Zone at Futurebuild 2019 will be the industry’s most comprehensive showcase of the latest innovations and thinking around the circular economy and sustainable waste management. We have some brilliant thinkers and innovators joining us from various corners of the world, as well as those leading the way in the UK. Visitors will have no shortage of ideas to take back to the office to implement new processes, policies and products to make our industry’s economy truly circular.”