Recycling in the urban village
Holbeck Urban Village is workign with locally based Recycling Action Yorkshire (RAY)to implement the requirements for recycled content and waste management in the revised planning framework for Holbeck Urban Village.
RAY launched a sustainable procurement initiative together with Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward and WRAP (Waste Resources & Action Programme) to cut the region’s CO2 emissions over three years.
The RDA has agreed that at least 10% of the overall building content in construction projects it funds must be made from recycled materials. It is the first regional development agency to make such a commitment.
The Holbeck Urban Village team have embraced this target and are supporting developers to source recycled content products. Seminars, hosted by WRAP, have been held for the developers to assist them in meeting this the target. These seminars explained the targets and detailed the support on offer.
RAY’s offices are situated in Holbeck Urban village and the building is seen as a regional environment hub with other key environmental support organisations based in the same building including WRAP and RIBA's Yorkshire office.
Both WRAP and RAY have identified procurement as a powerful tool in driving-up recycling rates and encouraging investment from businesses further down the supply chain.
Yorkshire and Humber is home to 14,000 construction firms, making up more than 9% of all businesses in the region. The size of the construction industry makes it an ideal area to promote green procurement to draw recycled products through the supply line. The industry was valued at £7.4 billion in 2003.
