Clear Out with Purpose

At Holland Harvey, sustainability is never an afterthought, it is embedded in every decision we make. Recently, we undertook a major clear-out of our material sample library to create more space to showcase the sustainable materials we specify across our projects. But creating physical space also gave us the opportunity to create positive environmental and social impact.

With 25% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the built environment – including the production, transportation, and disposal of construction materials – it is critical that we find circular solutions for material samples that are no longer needed.

Sample library clear out

Partnering with The Sample Project

To ensure these samples do not end up in landfill, our first port of call was The Sample Project, founded by Sophie Halliday, a primary school teacher from Southeast London. After seeing the waste from her husband’s architecture practice, Sophie realised these materials could become valuable resources for schools, especially for ‘loose part’ play.

The Sample Project supplies schools both locally and further afield with ‘loose part’ materials, enabling open-ended learning that fosters creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. We began donating to The Sample Project in 2023, and they have been incredible in distributing our samples to schools where they become real educational instruments for children.

In 2024 alone, we donated:

Fabric: 10.7 kg
Wood: 32.1 kg
Tiles: 173.6 kg
Concrete/Stone/Marble: 13.5 kg
Miscellaneous: 29.8 kg
Total: 259.7 kg

And so far in 2025, we have contributed:

Fabric: 3.8 kg
Tiles: 15.3 kg
Miscellaneous: 5.1 kg
Total 24.2kg

Packing smaller samples to send to The Sample Project

Extending our Donations through Renée Materials

Due to the nature of some samples, such as sharp edges or oversized pieces, not everything was suitable for school donations. To ensure as little as possible ended up as waste, we also contacted Renée Materials, a local reuse hub in East London.

Renée Materials reduces waste and cuts emissions by offering businesses’ off-cuts, surplus stock, and leftover materials for reuse. Their platform makes high-quality materials accessible to creatives, makers, and communities at around 50% cheaper than buying new, fostering creativity while avoiding unnecessary extraction of new resources.

From our donations to Renée Materials in 2025, we diverted:

Plastic: 24.35 kg
Wood: 27.65 kg
Textile: 2.2 kg
Metal: 2.55 kg
Glass: 1.9 kg
Stone: 238.44 kg
Total: 297.09 kg

This equated to an estimated 217.97 kg of CO₂e saved, by avoiding waste disposal and reducing demand for new materials.

Read the full impact report about our donation to Renée Materials here.

Boxes ready to be sent to Renée Materials

Looking Ahead

As a practice, we remain committed to embedding circularity and material mindfulness across all scales, from the samples we specify to the way we manage their afterlife. Partnering with initiatives like The Sample Project and Renée Materials ensures we extend the life of these materials while supporting education, creativity, and community.

If you are an architect, designer, or supplier reading this, we encourage you to consider where your unwanted materials go. Small actions can have significant collective impact.