The FIS’ initiative has taken delivery of its first batch of ceiling tiles, as the pilot begins to test the logistics and infrastructure needed for material reuse in commercial interiors
The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) has received the first batch of salvaged interior products under its Project Reuse pilot, a scheme aimed at exploring how reuse can be integrated into the commercial office fit-out process. The materials, now held in a dedicated east London storage facility, will be used to assess the feasibility of reuse at scale across the sector.
The components – 840 SAS130 ceiling tiles covering 420m² – were removed from a recent Cat A refurbishment, deconstructed by KpH Deconstruction, and transported by Urban Miners. FIS estimates the tiles retain a reuse value of approximately £15,000 and represent a potential embodied carbon saving of around three tonnes of CO2. Typically, such components are discarded despite being in near-new condition.
The pilot is structured to test the processes, standards and supply chains required to support reuse in commercial interiors. Office spaces in the UK are commonly refitted every five to seven years, resulting in the regular disposal of lightly used materials. FIS is exploring whether these products can be retained in circulation, rather than sent to landfill or recycling.
“There is growing appetite for reuse of products in commercial projects,” said Hattie Emerson, project manager at FIS. ”The challenge is creating a system that gives project teams the confidence that reused products will be available, in the right condition, at the right time. The Project Reuse pilot scheme is paving the way by testing the processes and infrastructure that will make that possible.”
The project is also testing the role of pre-demolition audits in identifying reusable products – an approach FIS believes could be applied more widely at the pre-refit stage. While some surplus materials already flow into the charitable sector, commercial reuse remains limited. The pilot seeks to identify barriers and test practical solutions.
The materials now in storage will be catalogued and assessed for potential redeployment in future projects. Findings from the pilot will inform FIS’s recommendations for industry standards and best practice around reuse.
By focusing on logistics and technical viability rather than promotion, the initiative aims to provide evidence that can inform procurement and specification decisions across the commercial fit-out market.
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