5 ways street furniture can support sustainable projects

According to the UK Green Building Council, the built environment is responsible for around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint.

As a result, sustainability and waste reduction are becoming increasingly important in helping to achieve the government’s goal of net zero carbon by 2050.

We all have a part to play in getting there, so how can street furniture help landscape architects, urban designers and local authorities in doing so?

Modular furniture

Sustainable materials

Urban greening

Solar lighting

UK manufacturing

Railroad seating and planter configuration outside Westquay shopping centre

Modular furniture

Modular street furniture gives you the flexibility to customise and combine modules in different ways to create a solution that meets your desired need.

Seats and benches for example, are typically formed with parts or modules that can be easily replaced or retrofitted – providing a level of flexibility that will extend the life of a product, reducing the need to buy new and ultimately keep carbon emissions to a minimum.

In a lot of cases, modular street furniture can also give you the same flexibility as bespoke without the uncertainty of achieving a viable product and high costs.

See how modular seating works

Grey planter on pavement filled with plants and greenery

Sustainable materials

By working with more eco-friendly street furniture that uses natural, reusable or recyclable materials we can help reduce our carbon footprint, offering a more sustainable solution for landscape schemes.

It’s never possible to completely eliminate carbon usage but we can always limit our impact as some materials are simply better for the environment than others. Here’s some examples:

Bamboo – A type of grass found in tropical and subtropical climates, and one of the fastest growing materials on earth as it can be harvested after three to five years instead of decades, like hardwood. It is able to absorb 12 tonnes of CO2 per hectare and produce 35% more oxygen than other plants making it a highly renewable and sustainable material.
Reclaimed timber – Timber recycled from old ships, factories, and decks is repurposed as reclaimed timber, which extends its lifespan. The use of reclaimed timber reduces deforestation by reducing the need to cut trees to make new wood. Since it has been around for decades, reclaimed timber is stronger and more durable than new wood.
Recycled steel – recycled steel helps to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills by diverting it into other projects. It costs less and is 74% more energy efficient, during its production impurities are removed making it the same if not better quality and durability of new steel.
Recycled Plastics – Repurposing plastic waste into a robust, reliable, and sustainable product reduces material waste and costs of raw materials that are needed for the manufacturing of new products. Repurposing plastic extends the life cycle of the product – fostering a circular economy approach.

The Green Room #Decarbonised Retain, Refit and Recycle Feat. Alex Lowenhoff

Learn more about the Circular Economy approach and the benefits to manufacturing and the supply chain in our podcast episode with Alex Lowenhoff from OuterSpace.

Urban greening & green roofs

In the urban environment, greening areas by planting trees and creating living green roofs on buildings helps to reduce carbon emissions and surface temperature – in fact, living roofs have been proven to reduce the urban heat island effect by over 2.5°c, acting as filters for pollutants, making our surrounding air cleaner and healthier.

In the UK, green roofs can offset up to 50,000 grams of CO2 per year, a healthy addition to urban areas.

Bench with lighting at water pavillion in canary wharf

Solar lighting

Solar power or LED are great ways to integrate light into street furniture, reducing the need for electricity and street lamps. Where there’s plenty of sunlight, solar lights are the best way to light up the streets, having little to no environmental impact compared to traditional or even LED lights.

For the UK and countries where sunlight is more limited, LED lights are actually sufficient since they use up to 60% less energy than traditional street lights and last for 20 to 25 years – making them both economical and environmentally friendly.

Man working at Furnitubes sustainable factory in Kent

UK manufacturing

UK manufacturers benefit from faster lead times as the products have a shorter distance to travel, resulting in using less fuel and producing fewer carbon emissions. The quality of products is increased as shorter transit times also reduces likelihood of damaged products.

As little as 1% of street furniture goods are damaged in transit each year.

In the UK alone, manufacturing contributes 11% of GVA (gross value added) – it is crucial to our economy and prosperity – and by buying UK-made products, you can contribute long-term to a more sustainable future.

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