We all have a role to play in the industry’s journey to net zero. Futurebuild has the ability to influence and guide the industry, and makes every effort to lead by example. This year, Futurebuild has made conscious choices to change its approach to the delivery of the event that have resulted in remarkable reductions in the events’ carbon footprint. 

Removing waste streams

We have removed over 9,000 sqm of aisle carpets for Futurebuild, eliminating the event’s biggest waste stream. This has led to a remarkable reduction of 27,707kg in carbon emissions from just the carpets alone. For the spaces we do carpet such as feature areas and shell scheme stands, we are using REWIND carpet, a Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver product that requires 85% less energy to produce compared to traditional event carpets. We are empowering our exhibitors to follow in our footsteps by upgrading all carpets ordered through us to REWIND at no extra cost. 

Speaking on the innovative choice, Chaline Church, Founding Partner of 540 WORLD said: “Futurebuild is renowned for being the stage for innovation in the built environment and it’s fantastic to see them incorporating the circular designed, C2C Certified® event carpet REWIND, in both their feature areas and shell scheme stands. This has saved thousands of carbon kg’s (CO2e) as well as allowed for a fully circular carpet with known non-toxic dyes, all third party assessed and globally recognised as safe, circular and responsibly made.”

Zero to landfill

All of our signage at the event is 100% recyclable including wall graphics and hanging banners and our features areas will be constructed out of reusable stand systems.

We are making sure we are clear in our guidance at the event to allow people to recycle their waste quickly and easily including electronic waste recycle points for badges and collection points for lanyards to be recycled safely, leaving no room for waste at Futurebuild!

We have also launched a new app for this year’s event alongside digital downloadable event maps and content schedules, allowing us to eliminate the need for printed show guides and event planners. This has saved over 30,000 documents from being printed.

Bill Dunster OBE, founder of ZED-power said: “To achieve a 28-tonne CO2 reduction from removing single-use carpet manufactured from fossil fuel is impressive. To then remove the mounds of paper and printing generated by a big show is a further win. Let’s all hope the exhibitor’s stands run with the ball!” 

Ethically sourced catering

We are the first event to use ExCeL catering’s new drinks cup: ‘Cupapeel’. They are one of the most sustainable cups available on the market and this move eliminates the last single-use plastic waste used at Futurebuild. In our eco-friendly cups, we will be serving up carbon neutral beer brand ‘Toast’ which takes surplus food waste (specifically bread) and uses it to brew a delicious, environmentally-friendly beer. We are only sourcing 100% Rainforest Alliance approved coffee that is contained within compostable packaging and we have got more vegan and vegetarian food options available than ever.

Promoting public transport

We are encouraging people to use the new Elizabeth line as the preferred method of transport for the event for those who are coming from Central London. We also love to see people travelling to the show by bike, and this year we are offering additional cycle storage to ensure you can leave your bike safe and secure. We’ve even set up a scheme for those who do brave the bike, and are offering a free hot drink to warm up once you arrive! 

‘Futurebuild is proud to lead by example in the events industry. We believe that enough is enough and we are taking bold steps towards a more sustainable future.’ commented Martin Hurn, Event Director of Futurebuild. ‘Our team has spent the past year reflecting on our event’s environmental impact and we are committed to reducing waste in 2023 through conscious choices and the use of sustainable and ethical alternatives. We are excited to celebrate these new initiatives and inspire others to follow in our footsteps.’

Futurebuild is making every effort possible to set the standards for the rest of the industry to follow. Wanting to empower the exhibition sector on its own journey towards a more sustainable, zero to landfill future. Futurebuild is proof it is possible to see great results from sourcing alternative, innovative solutions, and it won’t stop there. This is just the start for Futurebuild, who will continue to make positive changes to reduce its environmental impact.

Futurebuild 2023 will take place from March 7^th to March 9^th at London’s ExCeL. For more details, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk

Don’t miss out on this year’s event. Visitor registration is now open

About Futurebuild: Futurebuild is an event that brings together more than 15,000 building industry influencers and decision-makers with the power to make a difference and form part of a major transformation of the sustainable built environment. By cultivating this type of cross-sector collaboration, Futurebuild is helping to inspire the innovation that is needed to propel the construction industry towards the UK government’s ambitious net-zero target. Such an outcome is essential to creating a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations to enjoy. 

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