Senior representatives from the real estate sector are gathering this month to discuss the long-standing issue of waste from Cat A fit-outs, including luminaires, ceilings and raised-access floors.
The event, dubbed ‘Solving Cat A Waste’, will highlight the fact that some 100,000 luminaires are being removed from UK ceilings every week with the majority ending up in the waste stream. According to documented industry returns, just 7 per cent are recycled appropriately.
Speakers for the evening, organised by the End Cat A Lighting Waste campaign, include John McRae of Orms, an architect pioneering sustainability in commercial buildings; Paul Beale, founder of the innovative 18 Circular business model which supplies Cat A Lighting as a service; Charlie Green, co-founder of workspace provider The Office Group; and Tina Paillet, chief executive of Circotrade, a trading platform for used building materials and products.
McRae says the construction industry needs to ‘change its addiction to the new and the bespoke’ if it was to be truly sustainable.
The End Cat A Lighting Waste campaign group was set up to highlight and challenge the scandal, as it sees it, of Cat A fit-outs which are typically installed in speculative offices to attract a tenant. These are often ripped out to be replaced by a bespoke ‘Cat B’ installation to the client’s specification, with new lights, ceilings and floors removed.
McRae says there is no silver bullet solution to the issue of waste from Cat A installations. Instead, a mixture of measures and initiatives are needed. These could include the reuse and remanufacturing of luminaires, ceiling tiles and flooring.
• The free event takes place at 6pm on Thursday 29 January 2026 at Orms’ office at 160 Old Street, London EC1V 9BW. Register for a place HERE.
• Learn more about the End Cat A Lighting Waste campaign HERE.
