Sustainability Report

Sustainability information is provided by Susanne Tutsh, director at Root And Erect, and Toby Maclean, structural engineer at Allt Environmental.

Low embodied carbon approach

While the playground is not net-zero embodied carbon, it was intended to be low embodied carbon. Carbon calculations were undertaken and reported from Stage 2 onwards to support this aim. There are no known certifications, frameworks, or benchmarks specific to low embodied carbon playgrounds. As a reference point, the design team considered the embodied carbon of an equivalent playground constructed in timber and stone.

A key strategy was the near-elimination of concrete and the use of reclaimed steel. At Stage 3, calculations indicated that the embodied carbon of the steel option was similar to that of a nominal timber option, although this did not include the timber’s stored biogenic carbon.

Embodied carbon assessment

Allt Environmental’s Stage 3 carbon report calculated 12.6 tonnes CO2e for the play structure and foundations. Greengage’s Stage 4 report calculated 16.25 tonnes CO2e for site and street furniture and equipment, and 10 tonnes CO2e for street lighting. Street lighting would have been required even in the absence of the playground.

Both figures exclude external infrastructure concrete, which would also have been required without the playground. Corkeen was not included in these calculations, but it replaces higher-carbon materials typically used in road paths, paving, and infrastructure.

The carbon intensity of the steel tube is complex. The project adopted an intentionally broad definition of second-hand steel, including steel that had been over-ordered, returned to stock, and never previously used. In such cases, production carbon may not have been accounted for in a prior use, meaning its carbon intensity may be similar to that of new steel. The benefit lies in extending material life and reducing the likelihood of it being remelted as feedstock. Where steel had been previously used, its embodied carbon would be significantly lower, as production impacts would have been allocated to its earlier life.

Regardless of category, the design process remained the same. To address uncertainty in available sizes and certification, the design specified common steel sections, incorporated tolerances in grade and wall thickness, and undertook testing to confirm material grade. The structure is expected to perform in the same way as one constructed from new steel.

Corkeen Play Original by Amorim was used for the safety surface. Benches were supplied by Streetlife, whose modular systems are designed for long service life, with materials sourced responsibly to reduce environmental impact.