Construction firm Willmott Dixon has fitted a free recycled kitchen in Llanedeyrn Primary School as part of a drive to put unused construction materials to good use in the local community.
The kitchen was made entirely out of recycled units donated by Wickes in partnership with Constructing Excellence in Wales and the Recipro Community Projects scheme.
The Recipro Community Projects scheme provides community construction projects with free materials. It operates as part of Recipro UK, an online community which aims to reduce waste in the construction industry by ensuring that surplus construction materials are not discarded. These materials are instead diverted at a low cost to individuals and companies who will make use of them.
Willmott Dixon had been constructing the new St Teilo’s High School just up the road from Llanedeyrn when they heard about the primary school project. They became involved with the scheme, providing a free engineer who spent two days fitting the kitchen.
The project saved over 300kg of carbon and used 115kg of recycled materials.
Kevin Hart, Head Teacher at Llanedeyrn Primary School, said: “We are delighted to be part of an on-going partnership with Constructing Excellence in Wales. Sustainability lies at the heart of many of the activities that our children take part in. From recycling to energy saving and procurement, our children are becoming quite sophisticated in the ways in which they aim to preserve the earth’s precious resources and to ensure that materials are reused wherever possible. We are also very grateful to the construction company Willmott Dixon who have offered to supply free of charge a team to fit the kitchen for us.
“We hope that today marks the beginning of a partnership that will develop to ensure that all of our children gain a deeper understanding of the part they can play in ensuring that materials are preserved.”
Neal Stephens, managing director of Willmott Dixon in Wales, said: “The Recipro scheme is a fantastic opportunity for local groups to take advantage of surpluses in the industry such as these ex-display kitchen units. As a firm, we aim to make a real difference in the communities that we work in. So, with our project at the new St Teilo’s High School taking shape just down the road, we were delighted to help the local primary school install their new kitchen – it’s a great example of how valuable a materials exchange amongst businesses and community groups can be and how the industry can take the lead in reducing waste to landfill.”