Plastic free July signifies a global movement that encourages people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution.
The Hollis vision, ‘Inspiring Sustainable Change for a Better Future’ highlights our dedication to not only minimising our carbon footprint, but maximising our carbon handprint at the forefront of the way we work.
So, this Plastic free July, and every other month in the year, we make efforts to embrace long term sustainability, not just for our business, but also in the work we do with our clients.
We recognise that as consultants, the place we can have the biggest impact is through the advice we give our clients on embedding sustainability throughout the project lifecycle, and we take active steps to ensure sustainable solutions are considered right from the earliest stages.
Award winning sustainability
A great example of this is the award-winning project Neighbourhood North, which we delivered as project managers on behalf of our client Legal and General. This sustainability-focused scheme took home the trophy for Regeneration Project of the Year, presented by Michelmores, and has also been shortlisted for the 2024 AJ Retrofit and Reuse and BCO South of England awards, and a finalist at the RICS awards 2024 – all nominations we were incredibly proud to receive.
The award-winning project is located in the heart of Bristol. The 1980s building was transformed to a headquarter office building with a BREEAM outstanding rating, demonstrating that the retrofit and delivery of a state-of-the-art office space is both compatible and commercially attractive.
The regeneration created a less cluttered façade and contemporary appearance, while retaining the structure and a large portion of the building’s original brickwork. This resulted in approximately 163 tonnes of CO2 savings, achieving 31% lower embodied carbon than the RIBA 2030 target and 28% lower upfront carbon.
Plastic free efforts
Minimising plastic use and waste was a key aim of the scheme, and working closely with the client and design team, we made the decision to use composite timber windows. This generated a significant plastic saving as significantly reduced volumes of polyester coatings were required.
Where plastic was used in containing finishes such as carpets, nosings, vinyls etc., a conscious effort was made by the design team to use recycled products and avoid single plastic waste wherever possible.
Learn more about this inspiring project.
A Plastic free Hollis
Closer to home, minimising our carbon footprint is a fundamental value embedded in our culture.
Continuous environmental literacy training is key in ensuring staff are making conscious informed choices that’ll benefit our environment, from onboarding and throughout their careers.
This is highlighted by our clear environmental and ESG strategies and extensive sustainability and environmental policies – which are constantly being improved and updated.
Some ways we minimise our carbon footprint:
- Ongoing training in environmental literacy
- Utilising sustainable suppliers
- Operating digitally (avoiding paper and plastic use)
- Recycling effectively
- Taking the plastic free pledge this July (refusing single use plastics)
A shining example of our operational focus is our industry-leading events programme, which functions with sustainability at the heart of all decision-making; ensuring to order merchandise that is biodegradable or made from recycled materials from responsible suppliers, only using venues that meet our exacting standards for sustainable performance, and refusing single use products.
At Hollis, caring for our environment is more than a tick box, it’s our way.
ESG consulting: Reach your environmental goals
Do you have ESG targets you want to meet?
With a broad range of in-house specialists, our surveyors, project managers, engineers and ESG and energy experts create and add value across the built environment by helping clients to achieve their ESG and net zero goals.
Whether it’s reducing plastic use and waste in retrofit projects, improving social value outcomes or maximising renewable energy solutions for your portfolio, our depth and breadth of knowledge in the field means we are perfectly placed to support clients on all aspects of developing their ESG strategy, from inception through to implementation.
Want to know more? have a chat with one of our Environmental experts today!
