And yet we all know that there is so much more we can and should be doing. We have started the switch to electric vehicles - but we still have 15 or more diesel vehicles on the road every day all over the Midlands. We can definitely improve further here.

We extract hundreds of old windows from properties all over the Midlands every week. This is often a mix of UPVC, Aluminium, and timber. Much of this waste material is recycled by our waste partners but it seems such a shame to see large amounts of hardwood (often in good condition) being disposed of into skips. I can't help but wonder if this material could be repurposed in its existing format rather than being transported and reconstituted into something else. We can definitely improve here also.

If you consider the amount of time, effort and resources used to produce one length of new timber it quickly becomes obvious that utilising any form of recycled material has to be a far more sustainable option.

The Institution of Structural Engineers illustrates this point perfectly in this following diagram which is an example of the complexity involved in timber production. Imagine if we could find ways to reuse our materials more and reduce the amount of activity shown here by even just 10%. The net effects would be extremely beneficial.

My dream would be for no timber to enter any of our skips. I’d love nothing more than for all waste timber to be repurposed into goods e.g. furniture by local apprentices who we could recruit and train - thereby helping to reduce waste, reuse valuable materials, create something beautiful and valuable from nothing and help to give young local people a rare practical trade to help them earn a good living. As with all dreams there are dozens of obstacles in the way. Maybe as you are reading this you might know the answers to some of the issues we would face, maybe this is something that would inspire you to try something new or push towards a dream you could make come true?

I fear that there are not many companies doing anything at all. It’s not enough for companies to say they are playing their part because they fit ‘A-rated windows’. It’s perhaps understandable given that most companies are focussed on purely remaining in business, and any distractions from that mission are simply not on the agenda for most. Let’s face it - the last ½ decade or so have hardly been plain sailing. But surely we all have to try in our own way to push this topic further up the agenda.

Here at Finesse, although we are ahead of the rest we recognise that we are a long way from perfect when it comes to sustainability. However, we are very conscious of our responsibility to improve ourselves, and to lead where we can. When it comes to sustainability in construction I heard a great quote recently which I would paraphrase as: ‘we don’t need one or two companies to be doing everything perfectly - but we do need every company to be trying to do something no matter how imperfect to improve the overall result’. I believe this to be true. If we can all try new things, no matter how small and share the results of initiatives that work then the future will be brighter for all of us.