Hi, would you like to introduce yourself and Enviromate?
Sure, our names are Nigel VanWassenhoven & Reiss Salustro-Pilson, two self-funded UK social entrepreneurs, driven by a global vision of a Circular Economy, Sustainability and Resource Efficiency across all industries, starting our story within the construction industry. We are co-founders of start-up venture Enviromate.co.uk, ‘the home of construction re-use’, which is a unique go to hub for the entire construction industry to enable reuse of surplus or leftover materials. We are enabling vital natural resources and unused materials that would otherwise end up as waste, to be circulated back into the industry thus increasing the product lifecycle and reducing the industry’s environmental impact.
What can you tell us about the work you do?
Enviromate offers a tangible solution focusing on a key and vital area of the waste hierarchy. Embracing the whole industry we have created a platform broken down into three core areas to drive greater resource productivity;
Enviromate Marketplace – a free to use platform which enables DIY enthusiasts, local tradesmen and construction companies the ability to list, search and trade surplus material to each other.
Enviromate Donate – This area of the site offers community projects and charities the ability to list their projects and material needs to a targeted audience which enables our partners and corporate developers with larger amounts of surplus material to match their material, diverting it away from waste streams and back into projects that are benefiting communities across the UK.
Enviromate Educate – The platform for news, blog posts, figures and features will also facilitate an educational aim, as to the benefits of Reuse within the construction industry and the economy, whilst facilitating the transition to more sustainable and waste conscious practices, with a hope to leading a path to future innovative growth and circular efficiency.
You’ve just undergone a rebrand, would you like to tell us about the changes?
Yes, it has been a hectic but exciting few months for the brand and we have decided that as a young business it is imperative that we grow and adapt our platform to match market trends and what our users would like to see from the platform and to coincide with the growth of the circular economy.
Along with the re-branding we are close to a complete re-launch of the site offering a scalable and internationally transferable platform to tackle construction waste globally. The marketplace will offer functional usability, with a planned app release to follow soon after. We have simplified the donation side to accommodate and assist communities across the country and as mentioned an education element to construction reuse. Most importantly it embeds our mission and the brand’s core focus, we are very excited to soon release it to the world! Also we are going to donate 10% of all revenue generated from the site to charity which we will name on our launch!
Do you think the construction industry could be doing more to recycle?
Absolutely! The construction industry in the UK alone is one of the largest sectors of the economy. It contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy every year. Pivotal to the prosperity of our nation, building our homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and the infrastructure that keeps the country connected. So it is imperative for the industry to focus on becoming more resource efficient. Currently in the UK, it is responsible for 32% of landfill waste. A further 29% of waste to landfill is generated by mining and quarrying, generating over 120 million tonnes.
But again, we have to realise that this isn’t just about the construction industry. All industries must become more resource conscious, waste efficient and transition away from an increased reliance on natural resources. The beauty of a circular economy is it unifies all industries and embraces a collaborative coalition of individuals, start ups, businesses and government with one common goal: the longevity of our planet and prosperity of our species.
Could you see any recycling or compaction machinery being useful on building sites?
Its a great thought and one we could definitely see being installed on the building sites of tomorrow and again enables the industry to harness all technology that fulfils the core elements of the waste hierarchy making developments more green.
Do you have any CSR initiatives?
As mentioned, we have the donation side of Enviromate. This is a key area for corporate developers not only to become more circular and environmentally friendly by reusing their waste material but also by embracing and enhancing their CSR programmes, as they can leverage the donation into their marketing avenues to match their mission statements and become ever more socially responsible.
Where do you see Enviromate in 5 years time?
We have huge plans to scale the brand across the globe in the coming year and not only tackle the waste of reusable material from construction, but make sure that the reusable waste is being utilized fully on project or in businessesin the UK and overseas.
Follow the guys on Twitter.
@EnviromateReiss (right)