by Clair Mooney | 12 Nov, 2025 | Sustainability
In a major step forward for the circular economy in commercial fit-out, the
FIS Project Reuse Scheme is supporting the reuse of high-quality ceiling tiles and luminaires from Rathbone Place to Broadgate, two landmark London developments.
The initiative sees Ambit, part of the Workplace Futures Group, carefully strip out and recover bespoke SAS ceiling tiles and LedLuk luminaires during its refurbishment works at Rathbone Place.
Video footage is being captured to document the different phases of the project – comprising the identification of suitable products for reuse, strip-out, preparation, and transfer of the materials.
In the first of our video series, Reuse in Action, we look at how the existing materials were identified as being suitable for reuse and the strip-out process as well as logistics and timescale for a successful transfer. We speak to British Land and Ambit on their reasons for reuse and how schemes like Project Reuse support a better circular economy.
As this reuse journey continues, we will bring you more footage of the project focussing on the movement of products between the two live sites and the re-installation in Broadgate. You can keep up to date with the project at www.thefis.org/project-reuse-case-study
Hattie Emerson, Project Manager for Project Reuse said:
This case study provides a transparent, real-world view of how reuse can be achieved safely, efficiently, and collaboratively across live projects, demonstrating how design, logistics, and sustainability can align across multiple organisations.
You can find out more about Project Reuse at https://www.thefis.org/knowledge-hub/sustainablility/reuse/ and keep up to date with the transfer of materials at www.thefis.org/project-reuse-case-study
by Clair Mooney | 26 Sep, 2025 | Main News Feed, Skills, Sustainability
FIS is supporting The Future Skyline Skills Commitment to encourage built environment employers to offer more inclusive workplaces and training, especially green skills training, to attract and retain new talent, including young people aged 16-18.
The construction industry is about people, progress, and possibility. This commitment, developed by the City of London Corporation and the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline (FSSC) Taskforce, empowers us to shape a
sector that is sustainable, inclusive and future-ready.
Iain McIlwee FIS CEO and Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Strategy Board Member said:
The Skills Shortage is a systemic problem that is impacting the market now and has the potential to choke expected future construction. The City of London Corporation recognise that this in turn has the potential to impact the attractiveness of London as leading global business hub.
The scale of the problem is enormous and particularly acute in London that was more reliant on migrant workers than other parts of the UK. The supply chain, from supplier and contractor through to client, needs to work together to create the right conditions to invest and work collectively to ensure we are finding the next cohort of workers now, have a stable pipeline of people wanting to join the industry in the future and the training infrastructure to deliver this. It has been amazing to work on the Skills for a Sustainable Taskforce Leadership Taskforce, I have learned loads, made amazing connections and found new hope. I applaud the City of London Corporation for creating this Taskforce and the collaborative ecosystem that is now working to support our common goal of fixing the skills crisis in London and look forward to being part of the next stage of the work – delivering it!”
To launch the Future Skyline Skills Commitment, The Skyline Skills Hub is hosting an in-person launch reception on the evening of Wednesday 1 October from 18.30-19.15pm (with networking before and afterwards), hosted at NLA’s The London Centre (3 Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7HH. Iain McIlwee will be attending the launch event, and is encouraging members to join him and hear about the commitment and how it can drive change in the sector, promoting sustainability and inclusivity by inspiring companies to take practical actions to address the sector’s skills gap.
by Clair Mooney | 26 Sep, 2025 | Sustainability
In an inspiring testament to innovation and sustainability, our ambitious initiative, Project Reuse, aimed at rescuing lights and other products from strip-outs has been awarded a Build Back Better GREEN Award in the 2025 lighting category. This award highlights our commitment in addressing the environmental challenges associated with fit-out and refurbishment.
The initiative, which has been crowdfunded for the first 12 months and led by the FIS Sustainability Leadership Group, focuses on the recovery and repurposing of lighting fixtures and ceilings products that are typically discarded during building strip-outs. By diverting these materials from landfills and giving them a second life, Project Reuse not only reduces environmental impact but also promotes a circular economy.
There is an increasing pressure from clients to reduce the carbon emissions of buildings. Giving products a second or third life is the only way we can continue our activities while minimising our impact on the planet. This is the way forward for the industry.
FIS Project Reuse Project Manager, Hattie Emerson who collected the Award said:
“We are thrilled to receive this award, which recognises our efforts to demystify the perceived challenges of incorporating preused products in projects. It is a result of dedicated collaboration, working closely with industry partners, architects, contractors, installers, manufacturers and sector leads to ensure the effective recovery and reuse of lighting and ceiling products. A special thanks go to the FIS Sustainability Leadership Group and project supporters Recolight, Reusefully, Ambit, Lumybel, Blackstone Strip Out, TP Bennett, Space Interior Systems, SAS, Recolight, Overbury and BPC Interiors without whose support this wouldn’t have been possible”.
The FIS Sustainability Leadership Group is a unique multi-stakeholder group that aims to accelerate sustainability through collaboration. We invite you to come and join the group whether you know a lot or very little about sustainability. If you are interested in joining the group, email flavielowres@thefis.org
You can find out more about Project Reuse here.
by Clair Mooney | 2 Jun, 2025 | Sustainability
Project Reuse, our innovative pilot scheme, has reached an exciting milestone with the first donated fit-out products arriving at the scheme’s East London storage facility. Designed to reduce embodied carbon emissions and waste from the commercial office fit-out cycle, the project is now proving that a scalable, practical model for reuse is not only possible but already underway.
Deconstructed by KpH Deconstruction and transported by Urban Miners, the materials are now safely stored as part of FIS’s pilot to explore the logistics, standards, and business models that will be necessary to scale reuse across the sector. With commercial office spaces refitted on average every five to seven years, there is significant potential to shift away from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model, towards a system where products retain their value and contribute to low-carbon construction strategies.
This initial delivery includes high-quality SAS130 ceiling tiles salvaged from a recent refurbishment project and marks a major step towards creating a truly circular approach in commercial interiors. The ceiling tiles, around 840 in number (covering 420m²), represent a value of £15,000 and an embodied carbon saving of around three tonnes of CO2. These nearly-new components, typically discarded despite being installed only briefly in Cat A fit-outs, are now being catalogued, stored, and prepared for reuse in future projects.
“There is growing appetite for reuse of products in commercial projects,” says Hattie Emerson, Project Manager at FIS. “The challenge is creating a system that gives project teams the confidence that reused products will be available, in the right condition, at the right time. The Project Reuse pilot scheme is paving the way by testing the processes and infrastructure that will make that possible.”
Lyndsey West, Managing Director of KpH Deconstruction, added
“Increasing construction material reuse requires a collaborative effort across the industry. We need to move to a point where circular practice becomes commonplace and redefines construction norms. We’re pleased to be working with FIS on this pioneering project to advance reuse and keep these quality materials in circulation.”
The donated materials were identified through a pre-demolition audit, a process which FIS is keen to see more widely adopted, particularly pre-refit. While materials often make their way to the charitable sector, commercial reuse remains a missed opportunity. This pilot aims to create the systems, standards and trust needed to embed reuse into the heart of the commercial fit-out process.
To find out more about the scheme visit https://www.thefis.org/knowledge-hub/sustainablility/reuse/ or to arrange a donation or source a reuse product contact Hattie Emerson – reuse@thefis.org
by Clair Mooney | 22 May, 2025 | Sustainability
FIS has been working closely with the Supply Chain Sustainability School for over three years now. Together they have organised several webinars to showcase the great sustainability initiatives of the fit-out sectors. Topics have included reuse, circular economy, organisational carbon reporting or modern slavery. The Supply Chain Sustainability School has a huge amount of online resources which are freely available.
A couple of years ago, FIS members helped create a short e-learning course “An introduction to sustainability”. This course is aimed at those in our sector that have no or little knowledge of sustainability, but are keen to know more. Those that attend the course can be rewarded with CPD points.
More recently, the Supply Chain Sustainability School has been working on a tool to better assess the industry’s capability in sustainability. This new assessment is based on what the company is doing in sustainability rather than their knowledge. We would like to encourage our members to use this tool. The plan longer term will be to use the tool to map our collective journey to net zero and help members benchmark their own efforts.
You can start your sustainability journey by registering with the Supply Chain Sustainability School to access lots of great resources (register here – Supply Chain Sustainability School). You can also assess your company’s capability here and calculate your organisational carbon footprint with this free tool, here: FREE carbon calculator for supply chains – Supply Chain Sustainability School
Visit the FIS Sustainability Toolkit for a full update on the work of FIS in this vitally important area.
by Oscar Venus | 28 Mar, 2025 | Sustainability
The Construction Products Association (CPA) is excited to announce an upcoming webinar featuring a special guest, the Building Safety Minister, Alex Norris MP. This virtual event will delve into the intricacies of the Construction Products Reform Green Paper and promises to be a pivotal discussion for those involved in the construction industry.
- Date: Thursday, April 3rd
- Time: 14:30 – 15:10
- Location: Online
During the webinar, CPA’s own Peter Caplehorn will engage in a dynamic conversation with Minister Norris, posing questions that have been submitted by CPA members. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insights into the government’s plans and proposals outlined in the Green Paper.
The administration for the webinar is being handled directly by MHCLG, so to get the Teams link for the webinar you will have to register with them on this link: https://forms.office.com/e/VchrYE35rS
For those who have burning questions about the Green Paper, there’s a chance to have them addressed directly by the Minister. Questions can be sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) at constructionproducts@communities.gov.uk. Please note that the deadline for submitting questions is tight, with Monday morning being the cut-off.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live session! A recording of the webinar will be made available shortly after the event, ensuring that you won’t miss out on any valuable information.
This webinar represents an important moment for stakeholders in the construction industry to engage with policy developments that will shape the sector’s future. Make sure to mark your calendars and prepare your questions to make the most of this opportunity.
FIS will also be responding on behalf of its members, and those who are not able to respond to the consultation are encouraged to use Green Paper Consultation – Questions to give responses to as many or as few of the questions as you would like, and return them to jamesparlour@thefis.org by Monday 5th May. We will then incorporate these into our own formal response.
