Eco-I North West Programme Honours Rebuild Site CIC for Tackling Climate Change

AN ECO INNOVATION to increase the circular economy for the construction industry has scooped an award for tackling climate change.

The Rebuild Site CIC takes surplus waste from construction sites and donate to community groups, encouraging the adoption of circular economy principles within the industry.

The Carlisle-based company worked with the University of Cumbria as a part of Eco-I North West (Eco-I NW), a research and development programme which pairs businesses and universities to create new sustainable technologies, products and services.

The Rebuild Site worked with academic researchers to create a materials database to show how much CO2e is saved from diverting the waste from landfill, and sharing that information with customers.

The project’s success was celebrated at Eco-I NW’s Eco Innovation awards where The Rebuild Site CIC won the award for ‘Most promising new business’.

Maisie Hunt, Project Director for The Rebuild Site, said: “We are thrilled to receive this Eco-I North West award. Working with the University has been invaluable in validating our model and demonstrating the carbon savings that can be achieved from keeping surplus materials in their current most usable form.”

Tackling Climate Change

Eco-I NW, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), was led by the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE) team at Lancaster University and was delivered by a consortium of universities: Central Lancashire, Cumbria, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester Metropolitan.

Over the course of the programme it will have given more than 330 SMEs access to the extensive knowledge base, cutting-edge research facilities, built new networks to drive innovation, and supported the development of innovative solutions which will save 3,850 tonnes of CO2.

Dr Andy Pickard, Manager of the Centre for Global Eco-innovation

Dr Andy Pickard, manager of the CGE, said: “Eco-I North West has been an incredibly successful programme which has showcased what can be achieved via collaborative research between academia and business.

“These awards have been a celebration of the impressive work by our six regional university partners, talented undergraduates and postgraduates, and hundreds of small and medium sized businesses.

“Over the last three years we have created a melting pot of disruptive innovation, driven by collaboration which will continue long into the future. But if we are going to truly achieve the rapid transition to more sustainable economies and societies in the face of the climate emergency, we need to grow our network of collaborators. I would encourage businesses to connect with this region’s universities and start the conversation.”

>> Read more of the latest news