Waste building material from Rothesay Pavilion has been re-used – as hen houses, fences, animal enclosures and hard core on farmland.

Almost all the material - 63 tonnes - stripped out during the first phase of the £11 million restoration of the iconic Art Deco building has been recycled or reused.

Local groups were offered items such as tables, chairs, fridges, sinks and light fittings in return for a donation – which raised £3,500 for the Rothesay Pavilion Charity.

Argyll and Bute Council consulted with Zero Waste Scotland and worked closely with the contractor John Brown (Strone) Ltd to reuse almost all of the material which would normally have been disposed of in a landfill site.

Non-structural building material – wood, plaster and broken tiles – has been used to repair fences, build animal enclosures, hen houses or for hard core on farmland. Other wood that could not be used for construction was burned in heating systems.

Councillor Ellen Morton, Depute Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said:

“It is pleasing that thanks to the extremely effective management by those involved in the first phase of the project over 99% of the waste has been reduced, recycled or reused.

Forty skips of waste have been diverted from landfill and it is estimated that there has been savings of 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and approximately £26,000.”

 Charlie Devine, Head of Resource Management at Zero Waste Scotland, said:  

 “The restoration of Rothesay Pavilion is a fantastic example of how circular economy principles can be applied in practice to construction projects, not only protecting valuable resources but also benefitting the local economy.

“The construction sector generates around 40% of waste; yet as demonstrated at Rothesay, businesses and local authorities can make significant resource and cost savings through appropriate planning in new builds, refurbishments and deconstruction projects.”

The restoration of Rothesay Pavilion, funded by the council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Coastal Communities Fund, is part of the council’s ambitious £30 million CHORD project, which is regenerating and developing the economy of its five waterfront towns - Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Oban, Rothesay and Dunoon.

Zero Waste Scotland exists to create a society where resources are valued and nothing is wasted. Its goal is to help Scotland realise the economic, environmental and social benefits of making best use of the world’s limited natural resources. Zero Waste Scotland is funded to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s circular economy strategy and the EU’s 2020 growth strategy.