The housing provider — which owns over 28,000 homes across the North West, Yorkshire, and the Midlands — has enrolled with the not-for-profit organisation as part of its on-going mission to create sustainable communities across the country.
The partnership will involve the not-for-profit organisation reviewing Your Housing Group’s current processes through a series of workshops.
Changing Streams will work alongside the housing provider to develop a long-term research and implementation strategy to reduce plastic consumption across its portfolio.
The measures set to be implemented include changing fixtures and fittings, reducing the use of plastic wrapping for building materials (such as bricks and cladding), as well as more complex long-term strategies to phase out materials containing plastic.
Your Housing Group has also pledged to embed the Changing Streams Charter across the programme of new housing developments it is currently rolling out across the country.
All new contractors will be obliged to adhere to its plastic reduction pledge before being appointed.
This will ensure positive changes cascade throughout the supply chain, including contractors, suppliers and manufacturers, which will help drive change at every level of the construction process.
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Neal Maxwell, founder of Changing Streams, said: “We are delighted Your Housing Group has recognised our initiative as a way it can reduce their plastic footprint.
“There is a whole raft of work we will be doing in partnership with Your Housing Group and we are very excited to get started and work alongside the team, as part of the company’s wider sustainability strategy.”
Dr Gareth Abrahams, co-founder and architect from the University of Liverpool’s school of environmental science, added: “The plastic epidemic is continuing at an alarming pace, and it’s vital we raise awareness of the issues and the impact it is having on the global ecosystem.
“We have exciting research and development plans in the pipeline, from the creation of an accreditation system based on commitments and actions used to remove plastic from design and construction processes, to research strategies used to explore and develop sustainable plastic free-and plastic-reduced materials.
“We need more progressive businesses like Your Housing Group to join us and help engage, support and fund the research and innovation to ensure we can accomplish real change.
Brian Cronin, chief executive at Your Housing Group, said the company was committed to working “effectively and efficiently” to build quality houses in a sustainable way.
“The work that Changing Streams does is inspiring and firmly aligns with our core values of passion, pride, creativity, and accountability.
“With the support of Changing Streams, Your Housing Group will take steps to significantly reduce our use of plastic, so that we can help drive positive change within our sector and build houses that not only create communities, but [also] help protect the future.”
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