One percent of building demolition materials are reused. The sector has a £1.5 trillion circular prize on the table. The gap is not a knowledge problem. In this episode, Charlie speaks with Amira Damji, chartered structural engineer and Director of Additive Sustainability. Her argument is simple but precise: embodied carbon is committed before most designers get involved, reclaimed timber and steel cost more than virgin supply, and contracts expire at handover before anyone is left accountable. If circularity is optional, she says, people are not going to do it. Additive Sustainability intervenes before procurement takes over. It assesses existing structures, redirects physical stock from strip-out sites, and sets carbon budgets contractors must procure within. Asset maintenance, not circular economy. The language matters because it changes who is responsible. 💡 The article discussed Publisher: @wef · Author: Fleming Voetmann The article makes the investment and policy case for circularity. Amira's view is that it does not go far enough. Procurement still prices virgin material below reclaimed. No contract requires anyone to care what happens after they leave site. 🎯 Who's this for? Structural engineers, project managers and sustainability leads trying to move circular commitments out of strategy documents and into procurement decisions. #CircularEconomy #BuiltEnvironment #EmbodiedCarbon #ConstructionSustainability

So, another Earth Day comes around. We don’t know about anyone else, but for us it’s always a moment to reflect on impact and, if we're honest, to question whether the work we’re doing is really making a dent. Then, out of nowhere, you receive a message like this: “I’ve just discovered your podcast. It’s absolutely brilliant… thank you for giving me a way to find excellent people and ideas.” A big thank you to Philippa Hann of Paradigm Norton Financial Planning for sharing those kind words. And it reminds us that even our small contribution still matters. @ResponsibleEdge was created to raise awareness of the work we’re doing at @truMRK and @theagcharter to improve standards in sustainability communications. But also to highlight the environmental and social issues we face, and explore possible solutions with people who are thinking deeply about them. I wonder how others are feeling about the impact of their work this Earth Day? #EarthDay

What does it take to eliminate edible food waste within a live production system without undermining cost, quality, or operational flow? On @ResponsibleEdge, Charlie speaks with Charlie Bigham, Founder of @CharlieBighams. The discussion focuses on how waste emerges in practice. Meals are produced in components. Protein. Sauce. Starch. Each operates on slightly different timelines. When one element runs short, surplus accumulates elsewhere. Waste is not a single event. It is a systems outcome. The response at Bigham’s was operational. Waste was segmented into edible and non-edible, then tracked at ingredient level across each stage of production. That visibility changed behaviour. Over three years, edible food waste was eliminated and surplus redistributed through partners including @FareShareUK and @CityHarvest. Crucially, the same process exposed smaller inefficiencies. Approximately 800kg of food was being lost weekly on the factory floor. Immaterial in percentage terms. Significant in absolute terms. This is where operational discipline becomes measurable. The commercial tension remains constant. Packaging, ingredients, and procurement choices all present lower-cost alternatives. Plastic is simpler. Cheaper inputs are available. The question is whether responsible decisions can be maintained when they introduce friction into the system. Charlie's position is clear. Responsibility follows competence. It is expressed through consistent operational choices, particularly when the alternative is easier. 💡 The article discussed @UNEP: Food waste breakthrough launches to help cities halve food waste cut. The article outlines a global, data-led effort to reduce food waste at city level. The episode brings this into operational context. Measurement only has value if it drives change within production systems, not just reporting frameworks. 🎯 Who’s this for? Food manufacturing operators, procurement leads, retail buyers, and ESG teams managing waste, packaging, and margin trade-offs. #FoodWaste #FoodManufacturing #OperationalDiscipline #ProcurementStrategy

If a company has the certification, who is checking whether the underlying practice actually improved? On @ResponsibleEdge , Charlie speaks with Pooran Desai, Founder of @OnePlanet and creator of the One Planet Living framework, about the limits of sustainability standards. Drawing on his experience building sustainable forestry enterprises, Pooran describes how certification shifted authority from practitioners to auditors. Knowledge was replaced by documentation. Stewardship became box-ticking. His view is clear: standards should set the floor, not define leadership. 💡 The article discussed Charlie and Pooran also reflect on the @ISEALalliance article written by Vidya Rangan, How are sustainability standards driving real world change?, which presents evidence of measurable gains from certification schemes. Pooran’s counterpoint: evidence only reflects what we choose to measure. 🎯 Who’s this for? ESG leaders, procurement teams and sustainability strategists questioning whether certification is driving real system change. #ESGGovernance #SustainabilityStandards #SystemsThinking #ResponsibleBusiness

Last week, @pabloheplo joined us to record an upcoming episode of @ResponsibleEdge and kindly brought along a copy of his new book, The @FinancialTimes Guide to Business Ethics. What we did not expect was his generous note to Charlie: “Charlie, in appreciation of your principled leadership and in support of @truMRK and your transformative work.” When you are building something new, encouragement like that really matters. We have spoken to many founders who say support at the right moment can be the fuel that keeps you going. It is also great to see Pablo receiving strong backing for the book, with endorsements from leaders including Charles Conn, Dame Sally Dicketts DBE, @RonanDunne, @AllisonQTaylor, @SeanWilliamsTw1, @MarkMalcomson, Sarah Gillard, Michael Davis, Katherine (Kate) Marshall, @HaydenTaylorUK, Laura J. Spence FAcSS, Guido Palazzo and @pgwalkersmith. We feel fortunate to be part of a growing community of people who care about doing business the right way. Stay tuned for the episode. We will be exploring the key themes from the book very soon.