People have started to move into homes that are believed to be the first in the UK that are virtually plastic-free.
The complex in Redditch, Worcestershire, consists of 12 one-bedroom apartments and received £1.2m of EU funding.
It allowed developers Green Square Accord to research the reduction and removal of plastic in construction.
Timber panels, aluminium window frames and mineral-insulated copper cable for wiring were used to build the homes.
“We can’t carry on building homes the way we are at the moment, we need people’s energy bills to be lower and homes that don’t have a negative effect on the planet,” said Carl Taylor, the housing developer’s assistant director.
Shernide Bowman, 23, said its “eco-friendly” credentials were one of the main selling points of her new flat, adding: “I’m hoping that the bills are lower.”
Nerissa Issac, 28, is looking for the same outcome.
“I am happy it is all electric and has solar panels, so hopefully it will be cheaper,” she added.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said The Future Homes Standard, which includes changes to building regulations and is being rolled out nationwide from 2025, will require a 60% improvement in energy efficiency.
“Certainly when we allocate funding, we are looking for that commitment [from developers] who are already getting ahead of that legislation,” he said.
My Taylor said plastic is in “virtually everything” in the construction industry.
Some items need to contain plastic for safety reasons, such as intumescent strips which are used to seal fire doors, but changes include replacing acrylic paint with graphene and limestone, and finishing the kitchen in solid wood.
“When we have taken plastic out of the building we have replaced it with much more robust materials,” he added.
The project’s funding came from the Interreg North-West Europe funding partnership and was run in collaboration with Redditch Borough Council.
The developers said the flats, which will be managed by Redditch Co-operative Homes, are “affordable” and will be occupied by people in their 20s.
