Recycling and waste
The Landmark Trust as an entity is fundamentally premised on the principle of reuse, ensuring that we do not waste or neglect the work of our forebears. Seeing the beauty and value in repairing and reusing things over replacing them has been essential to our cause for over half a century.
But it is also something we can more completely realise through ancillary activities and in the way we do things, be it the running of our office or the operation of our buildings day-to day or in staff culture.
As well as lending our voice to others' projects on the important role historic building have to play in the context of the Circular Economy and working closely with environmental change experts, we're also members of networks such as Fit for the Future and the Climate Heritage Network.
Recyling and waste at Landmark's head office
At our Shottesbrooke head offices, we are working hard to reduce waste and make our everyday processes more sustainable. This includes formalising recycling systems, using recycled paper, ensuring temporary secondary glazing is put up on draughty windows before each winter, ensuring temperature controls were put on all radiators, using eco cleaning products, and redesigning the front garden and mowing regime for biodiversity.
Reducing waste at Landmarks
When it comes to new Landmarks, we are designing these to better facilitate reuse. We are ensuring space for recycling facilities, re-commiting to our policy of re-using old furniture and seeking to reduce waste through Landmark projects by building in waste reduction criteria to our tender evaluation processes.
For our major project at Calverley Old Hall, we enlisted the help of consultants Green Footsteps to help us ensure that sustainability was embedded at the centre of all planning. From the very beginning of the repair and conversion project we were able to set out how it would use sustainable materials, reduce energy, use renewable energy, manage water use, reduce waste, manage construction waste, reduce the use of chemicals, introduce composting, benefit nature & wildlife, and how we would measure the project’s carbon impact. Our findings will be used to inform future projects.
Within existing buildings, we continue to facilitate recycling, auditing current levels and setting targets for improvement. We also repair and mend furnishings before replacing wherever possible, through our Honeybourne workshop.
Reducing single use plastics
We have been looking to reduce the amount of plastics and chemicals we use in cleaning our properties, and following a number of trials by housekeepers and other staff, we are now rolling out Aquateck cleaning systems to all Landmarks. Aquateck’s only ingredients are salt and water which are mixed using electrolysis to make hypochlorous acid. This is a versatile cleaner that degreases and disinfects, and is safe on skin and down drains. The cleaner can be used on surfaces, ovens, carpets and upholstery and will reduce the delivery, storage, cost and plastics from using a range of different products.
How you can help
If you’d like to continue supporting our mission to reduce our environmental footprint, please consider donating to The Greener Landmark Fund, which is dedicated to helping fulfil our commitment to adapt to climate change. A one-off donation of just £15 would support the provision of environmentally friendly cleaning products in a Landmark.
