The UK architectural salvage and reclaimed building materials sector is carbon negative and has been for many years, saving millions of tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Although supply has, at times, been more challenging in the current climate of Covid-19, demand is high with people keen to make home improvements or adapt their environments to suit the sudden shift to remote working. Holidaying from home this summer also saw a rise in garden design and landscaping and lucky people with backyards or even balconies made the most of every inch of outside space they could call their own for a short getaway.
 
Bare shelves in the supermarkets coupled with lifestyle changes are inspiring more self-sufficiency with people growing their own food. Just like knowing the source of the food on your plate, knowing the provenance of the materials you build with enriches the experience and the green credentials of reusing reclaimed materials go hand in hand with this ethos to create characterful sustainable spaces.
 
For the Salvo team, working from home has been dispersed with visits to antique, reclaimed and salvage businesses in the UK and Ireland, as and when lockdown restrictions permitted. We are in full swing, compiling the new futuREuse directory, a detailed extension of the Salvo directory which has been running for thirty years, and part of the EU FCRBE project that aims to highlight businesses and their regular stocks to increase reuse of reclaimed building materials.
 
The pictures show some recent places and the breadth of reclaimed building materials and beauty in different regional stocks that Becky and I witnessed across Wales, Scotland and England.
 
If you were wondering how much building material goes to waste annually across Europe, then check out the link to a newly produced video created by our FCRBE project partners. The construction industry and our choice of building materials have an important role to play in the climate crisis, and the pandemic is an opportunity to reset and back different methods that cut carbon.