Pioneering research is showing the way

Britain's housing industry should learn from University of Brighton research and use recycled "rubbish" in construction projects, according to Brighton Green MP Caroline Lucas.

On a visit to the university's Waste House – the country's first building made almost entirely of thrown away materials – Ms Lucas said: "The housing industry is decades behind where best practice is and I think the real challenge of this Waste House is for it not to be seen as a one off example but actually to be paving the way in what has to be mainstream.

"This is the way we are going to have to build in the future if we are serious about living within the resources of one planet earth."

More than 20,000 old toothbrushes, two tonnes of denim jeans, 4,000 video cassettes, 2,000 used carpet tiles, thrown away timber, paper, plastic bags and chalk, were used in the house construction at the university’s Grand Parade campus in Brighton.

Ms Lucas said: "The housing industry has a huge amount to catch up on. For every five houses currently being built enough waste is created to build one extra house – most people understand that this makes absolutely no sense at all.

"The housing industry has got to get its act together."

Duncan Baker-Brown,  Caroline Lucas, James Cryer from Mears and Cat Fletcher from FREEGLE UK.

"It demonstrates that one can build in an economic way that is absolutely in tune with the environment. Anyone who thinks there is some kind of contradiction between putting the environment first or putting the economy first is mistaken.

"This house demonstrates, by its very existence and the way it was put together, that the environmental case is the same as the economic case. Both can be met at the same time."

Ms Lucas was shown round the award winning House by Duncan Baker-Brown, university lecturer and the House architect. He worked with the Mears Group which, with undergraduate students, students from City College Brighton & Hove, the reuse organisation FREEGLE UK, private companies and volunteers, built the house in the grounds of the university's Grand Parade campus. Brighton

Mr Baker-Brown said: "The House is a live research project and permanent design workshop to be used by our students and as a centre for visiting school children to learn about sustainability."

Mr Baker Brown said research projects include testing the insulation properties of waste material. Brighton & Hove City Council is looking into how it can incorporate ideas from the house in its future building projects.

The Brighton Waste House