London hub aims to reduce construction waste through material reuse
The Story
A coalition of design and architecture groups has opened Tipping Point East (TPE) in Newham, described as the largest hub of its kind in the UK for circular construction. The hub processes and certifies used building materials from demolition and refurbishment for resale at low prices or donation to community projects.
Key Facts
- Joel de Mowbray founded Yes Make in 2020 after a south London project where felled trees were wasted while he sourced timber from Ashdown Forest.
- Yes Make originally salvaged materials using a converted 1980s electric milk float.
- TPE is a 20,000 sq metre industrial site housing Yes Make, Resolve Collective (recycled materials for cultural institutions), and Material Cultures (bio-based materials research).
- The UK construction industry produces about 62% of the country’s waste.
- TPE has turned away at least 10,000 fire doors since opening because no one on the team has the right training to certify them.
- Yes Make sells materials at prices sometimes as low as 10% of the commercial price.
- The UK is the third largest timber importer globally, behind the US and China.
- TPE has a five-year lease on its Silvertown site.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
How TPE will obtain the training needed to certify fire doors and other materials that require certification.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Joel de Mowbray, founder of Yes Make
- Tom and Jerry, saw millers from National Saw Mills (named in the article)
Sources: The Guardian
