#6 - Sustainability in FM: Challenges and Opportunities

Live from the Workplace Event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, host Vera van de Loo speaks with EuroFM chair Natalie Hofman, facilities manager Sarah Orpwood, and FM consultant Bernard Crouch about what sustainability really means in facility management.The conversation goes beyond carbon reduction, focusing on behavior change, employee experience, and the urgent need to grow FM knowledge through training, events, and shared best practices.They explore real-world challenges such as confusing recycling rules, contaminated waste streams, limited UK recycling capacity, and the huge amount of construction and fit-out waste that still lacks proper reuse solutions.The panel also looks at how suppliers can be pushed further through tenders with rising recycling targets, why waste-to-energy should be avoided where possible, and how collaboration between FM, HR, environmental teams, and external partners can support social sustainability through mobility plans, inclusive workplace policies, and practical facilities like showers and drying rooms.They end with a clear message: sustainability education must become essential, and lasting progress depends on stronger stakeholder involvement and empowered employee champions.