MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO RECYCLE
F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has introduced a number of green initiatives to help flooring contractors achieve more sustainable ways of working.
The mantra 'reduce, reuse, recycle' is often heard in reference to environmentally-friendly practices associated with day-to- day living. As a result, clients are increasingly looking to buy from companies who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. To support this, as well as help contractors to meet the sustainability evaluation criteria for jobs involving public sector procurement processes, F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has been taking steps to reduce its environmental impact. By continuously evaluating its manufacturing processes and the lifecycle of its products, contractors have ample opportunity to do their bit for the environment.
RECYCLING EXPANSION One of the main efforts to support the industry’s quest for greener working practices is the introduction of the F. Ball bucket and bottle recycling scheme, which provides branded receptacles at selected distributor partners. Here, contractors can dispose of any of the company’s yellow buckets that are empty and do not contain materials classed as hazardous, as well as empty five and 20 litre bottles, for free.
What began as a trial three years ago has been well received by the industry, with binloads of empty containers that would have otherwise been destined for landfill being taken away for reprocessing instead. Earlier this year, the company doubled the number of drop-off points at wholesalers and distributors across the UK. Subject to the continued success of the programme, there are plans for it to be further rolled out to achieve more widespread geographical coverage.
BETTER BOTTLES F. Ball’s bucket and bottle recycling scheme followed its first major sustainability drive: the replacement of its bottles used for gauging liquids, tackifiers and primers with 100% recyclable versions, which are themselves made from a portion of recycled plastic. The new bottles are manufactured from 30% recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), with the material being able to be recycled up to ten times.
The positive outcome of the switch is that F. Ball and its customers have prevented over 100 tonnes of virgin plastic material – newly created plastic resin without using any recycled materials – from entering the waste stream each year.
ECO PACKAGING More recently, F. Ball’s environmentally-friendly packaging solution for its floor finishing and repair compounds has been met with acclaim from contractors. For example, its fast- track Stopgap Micro Rapid product is now supplied in 100% recyclable ‘eco pouches’ which require substantially less plastic to produce than previous packaging – just 10% of the weight used for the products’ former bucket packaging.
20 | SUSTAINABILITY
The eco pouches also offer some additional benefits for contractors: durable and waterproof, they are lighter and easy to handle, more convenient to use and deliver extended product shelf life.
BACK OF HOUSE Behind the scenes, changes to address the business’s carbon footprint at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters have been introduced with the aim of consuming less energy and increasing the proportion of the energy that comes from renewables.
For example, over 1,000 solar panels with a 250 KwP output generate around one fifth of the site’s electricity supply. The factories benefit from state-of-the-art equipment, including high-efficiency motors and boilers to minimise energy required to produce F. Ball products, as well as significantly lessen the energy needed for heating.
Further, LED lighting has been introduced throughout the premises, either connected to proximity sensors or programmed to turn off when not required. As a result, it has prevented 74 tonnes of carbon entering the atmosphere annually – around the equivalent average annual emissions of 16 white vans driven on the road. Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points have also been installed on site for both company vehicles and for employees making the switch to EVs.
Jenny Barnett, Safety Health Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Manager at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., said of the company’s sustainability strategy: “People are increasingly looking to buy from businesses who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. F. Ball will continue to invest and develop so that customers have every confidence that they are making the greenest choice when selecting their flooring installation products.”
www.f-ball.com
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