The inspiring Bay Campus at Swansea University is soon to open its doors to thousands of students and academics.  A brand new £450m development on the eastern verge of the city, the campus will include the College of Engineering and the School of Management and host specialist industry projects including The Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) which consolidates the university’s strength in the energy sector.

The design and construction of a new 3,800sqm building by Bouygues UK received a BREEAM Outstanding rating and is the UK’s first dedicated centre for research into energy safety.

The project was of particular interest to the Bouygues UK team as the principles of the institute resonated with their corporate goals of achieving excellence in environmental responsibility and finding new ways to measure and reduce the environmental impact of their activities.

The project team liaised with Recipro Wales, a collaborative project between Constructing Excellence in Wales, Swansea Care and Repair and the inventors of Recipro-UK (www.recipro-uk.com), to arrange the donation of surplus materials to charitable organisations and community projects. Through this, the company reduced waste; extended the lifespan of the materials and was able to help local groups, as well as avoid sending items to landfill.

Waste management is a key focus area within Bouygues UK and Matt Wisdom, Environmental Advisor for Bouygues UK’s Western Region commented: “All of our new sites in this region will obtain the Ecosite label, our global and group-wide environmental standard.  Ecosite recognises those sites that have achieved our ambitious environmental standards, which are founded on stringent regulations and exemplary practices observed throughout the Group.  Waste management is one of the twelve key areas audited by Ecosite.  Working with Recipro Wales was a great benefit to our team on this project.”

Small quantities of unused, surplus construction materials were donated to Recipro Wales and are now available for community groups, schools and social enterprises to access at heavily discounted rates for use in projects – giving useful materials a second chance and avoiding costly disposal.  You can view items available for reuse here

If you are interested in finding out more and joining a growing of network of businesses who are reducing site waste and supporting local communities, make direct contact with the project team - Jim Owen on 07913 993280 or email