Bon Volks | Circular Margate

Reusing construction materials to reduce waste and deliver environmental and social value in Margate.

Circular Margate is a Bon Volks programme that reduces construction waste by reusing surplus building materials for community benefit. The project intervenes directly in Margate’s waste stream, keeping usable materials out of landfill and extending their life through reuse.

Our support

With support from Kent Community Foundation, Bon Volks delivered Pilot #2, testing a scalable model for a future Materials Hub. The pilot reused timber and sheet materials donated by Turner Contemporary, reconditioning them at Bon Volks and redistributing them as a shared local resource.

The difference made

Funding enabled these materials to be reused through carpentry workshops and transformed into bespoke furniture for local community organisations. This approach reduced waste, lowered embodied carbon and embedded circular economy principles through practical, hands‑on activity.

The project delivered:

• 10 construction and carpentry skills workshops, focused on young people

• 15 bespoke furniture pieces for five community organisations

• Measurable data on material reuse, carbon savings and social impact

Community gardens, food banks and shared spaces received shelving, desks, planters and worktables - items that would otherwise have been unaffordable but now support day‑to‑day operations.

Beyond the physical outputs, Circular Margate strengthened local partnerships, created routes into green skills and demonstrated how construction waste can become a shared community resource. The pilot provides a clear, tested blueprint for scaling up to a permanent Materials Hub, advancing circular economy practice and social connection across Margate and Kent.