General Demolition – Considerate Constructors Climate Champion Award Winner
Sustainability has become increasingly integral to the construction industry and for its part, London-based General Demolition has been striving to continuously improve in this area for a number of years. The success of its approach was recently underlined when it was named Climate Champion at the 2025 Considerate Constructors Scheme Annual Awards.
“We’re really proud of the award, as it not only reflects the dedication of the entire team but also highlights how ingrained saustainability is within the company,” explains Fred Bulgin, Business Development Manager. “The success is affirmation of our mission to accelerate the change to sustainable demolition from where it was ten years ago. It’s great to be recognised for our leadership in this area and reflects our commitment to helping enable a circular economy.”
Having specific sustainability goals is one thing but achieving them is something else entirely. So, what has been the key to this success and the subsequent award? Fred believes General Demolition’s emphasis on training has been vital. “We have worked extremely hard to put strong training programmes in place that embed sustainability wherever possible. This ensures that everyone’s always thinking about sustainability and how we can make marginal gains. We have also looked to secure external assistance where appropriate and have forged some great partnerships as a result.”
Thanks to its approach, General Demolition has consistently contributed to the environmental progress of the developments it has been involved in. On one in particular – the 21 Glasshouse Street project in Soho – its partnership with Saint-Gobain helped recover 36 tonnes of toughened and laminated glass thanks to the implementation of the Glass Forever system, which can turn previously hard-to-recycle material into valuable cullet and conserving significant raw resources. Meanwhile, at 110 The Queens Walk (former City Hall), the repurposing and donation of more than 300 tonnes of materials, including carpet tiles, raised access flooring, and commercial kitchen equipment, created measurable environmental and social value.
These flagship projects, in addition to other major developments at the likes of Belgrove House, 40 Argyll Street, and 50 Stratton Street, have really cemented General Demolition’s commitment to the circular economy. Via meticulous planning, highly technical expertise and a reuse-first mindset, the company continues to show how materials traditionally destined for landfill can instead become catalysts for carbon reduction and community benefit.
“In-line with our objectives, we also strive to leverage the latest technology when we can, such as digital material-tracking systems and precision dismantling techniques. These allow us to overcome logistical constraints that might otherwise limit sustainable outcomes. There isn’t much time onsite to remove these items, so there’s many logistical and programme challenges to find solutions for.”
General Demolition’s forward-thinking approach has been a hallmark of the business since it was founded in the 1970s by Colin McLoughlin, who remains a large part of the business to this day. “Having started off removing World War Two air raid shelters,” outlines Fred, “the business has grown and evolved over the years to where we are now, able to cover a wide range of different areas within the enabling works sector across London and the Home Counties”.
“The success is affirmation of our mission to accelerate the change to sustainable demolition from where it was ten years ago. It’s great to be recognised for our leadership in this area and reflects our commitment to helping enable a circular economy.”
Having such a robust infrastructure allowed General Demolition to achieve considerable commercial success in 2025, in addition to its award win. “We remained very busy last year, despite the challenges that many are facing,” says Fred. “These include high construction costs and a complex planning process, particularly on constrained urban and brownfield sites, not to mention the concerns regarding the wider economy.
“Looking ahead, confidence is strong and we foresee another busy year in the pipeline. A number of projects that had been put on pause are now coming to life again, particularly within London’s commercial market, as people return to the office. The demand for sustainable Grade A spaces is high, but the actual supply of offices is not there currently. We’ll therefore be looking to help address this demand issue by working with landlords and developing sustainable retrofits for them.”
“Construction is accountable for a third of the world’s waste, so it is our responsibility to enable and drive change in the industry. One of the most enduring perceptions is that focusing on sustainability will lead to increased programmes and rising costs due to the complexity involved. However, thanks to the supply chain we have put together and our ability to leverage our partnerships, as well as by utilising the latest technologies, we are helping to change that perception.
“There’s still work to do, but by working alongside clients early on to outline and address challenges, we are able to successfully collaborate and continue building on the progress already made. In 2026 we want to keep to growing our business and increase turnover. We are looking to expand our circular economy capabilities and further develop our partnerships to support large-scale reuse projects.”
With over four decades of experience to draw on, coupled with a forward-thinking approach, General Demolition looks well set to maintain its momentum in 2026, both commercially and from a sustainability perspective. It would be no surprise if further award recognition was to come its way too.