Case study: Building BedZED BedZED is a mixed-use development in South London, completed in 2002. It comprises of 99 homes and 3,000m2 of commercial space. As well as making it easy for residents and offices to reduce their environmental impacts, the building itself was constructed largely using low impact building materials. A local sourcing policy meant that 52% of the materials were sourced within 35 miles, with the average distance being 67 miles (40 miles less than the national average). This helped save 120 tonnes of carbon emissions. The local sourcing policy did not incur any extra costs and required no specialist expertise. There was also an emphasis to reuse and recycle materials. BedZED sourced 3,400 tonnes of reclaimed and recycled materials, 15% of the total materials. All of the recycled and reclaimed materials used were either cheaper than the conventional option or the same price. For more information, visit www.bioregional.com.
28 One Planet Living Strategy for Whitehill Bordon