THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE, WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
MAIN FEATURE
■ Removing all single use items from the business
■ Using recyclable packaging
■ Creating sustainable delivery options by delivering items by bike or using an electric fleet
■ Installing a smart meter ■ Offering reusable options to customers ■ Reducing waste during production
BEIS believes that taking action on climate change will help businesses to grow, seize new opportunities and adapt against the challenges of a changing planet in a variety of ways, from lowering running costs by reducing emissions to attracting new customers who want to shop sustainably, benefitting from the growing ‘greenfluence’ movement.
Where does drainage fit into the sustainability journey?
persuading businesses to cut their carbon emissions. These can vary from water companies taking a stance to doorstep customers trying to be greener and waste less. People can vote with their actions by avoiding products that are deemed to not be environmentally friendly. Although, if your drain’s blocked and you urgently need help, you are probably less likely to pick through the green credentials of the company coming out to save you from raw sewage seeping out onto your bathroom floor or into your garden. But that should not be an excuse for those supplying an emergency or distress service to behave in a non-sustainable manner.
The Government has launched a ‘Together for Our Planet’ campaign to encourage small businesses to go green, as well as a new UK Business Climate Hub which provides firms with advice and support and enables them to make a commitment to become net zero.
The hub, developed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in partnership with the International Chambers of Commerce and others, is encouraging small businesses to make environmentally friendly choices to help them grow sustainably, with the suggested first steps including:
FOLLOW US
One of the more obvious effects of climate change is more frequent weather extremes and flooding events, making drainage an even more important facet of our lives. In SuDS, recent developments in legislation mean that housing developers must now incorporate SuDS schemes, whether through natural ponds and swales, permeable paving, underground attenuation tanks or other options. However, just installing these schemes is not enough; they will need ongoing maintenance – and that uses resources and time, whether it’s a groundsman travelling regularly to the sites in a diesel-powered 4-wheel drive, using 2-stroke power tools to cut back undergrowth and tidy up, or other regular physical checks that are needed to ensure floodwater grilles in ditches are not blocked and overgrown, etc – and so the ongoing costs far beyond installation need to be thought about too. In trying to mitigate flood risk are we using more resources than could be truthfully deemed ‘sustainable’?
Likewise in the drainage industry, it’s rarely a case of just installing pipes and drainage systems and then forgetting about them. They need regular maintenance to ensure they are functioning correctly and that maintenance requires energy and resources to be used, from fuel for travelling and for maintenance equipment on site, to specialist equipment manufactured to purpose. You have only to consider the fatberg issues going on in many cities around the UK and the huge amount of time and resources needed to tackle these. Where does all this sit within the sustainability agenda and how can it be improved?
In Europe, the European Committee for Standardisation published EN 15804, which covers product category rules for
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in the construction sector. Other complementary standards include EN 15978, on environmental building assessment. The Building Research Establishment in the UK is approved to issue EPDs. It uses research to develop products, services, standards and qualifications to bring about positive change in the built environment.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) Pipes Group has members involved in manufacturing for many areas of the water and drainage industry, and the Group seeks best practice in manufacturing, installation and performance of plastic pipe and drainage systems. It recently made available on its website a series of Environmental Bulletins around EPDs, aimed at helping those specifying and selecting hot and cold water pipes to assess the full lifecycle impact of such products. It has also provided guidance articles on the circular economy, aimed at improving sustainability in the industry, and its technical guidance and new series of webinars encourages material- and labour-saving techniques such as making efficient connections to PE water pipes or designing drains and sewers. Director Caroline Ayres commented: “We take sustainability very seriously and our members are continually seeking ways in which to help improve the sustainability of their products for their entire lifecycles. Members are also continually working towards reducing the environmental footprint of their products and to deliver sustainable solutions within the circular economy.”
You will be aware of BREEAM, which is a world- leading sustainability assessment method for planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. BREEAMis intended to result in more efficient use of resources, lower maintenance and operational costs and maximised returns through market value.
Even the big raw material suppliers of construction items like polymers are trying to improve sustainability. Lyondell Basell is a German polymer supplier and it has just announced (14 May 2021) that it is now producing virgin quality polymers from raw materials derived from plastic waste at its site in Wesseling in Germany.
Howis the sustainability journey going for drainage industry operators?
Neil Wallace is Managing Director at AquaSpira, a Lancashire based company that specialises in composite steel reinforced pipe technology. It supplies pipes from 900mm diameter up to 2250mm and is an established provider to the water, housing, highway, hydro and
July 2021 | 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
