SUSTAINABILITY
lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum. Last year, the business also reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 10%, despite a 30% increase in production volumes as the company faced unprecedented demand for its products reinforcing its commitment to a greener future in construction.
Rodney Davidson, Commercial Director at AG says: “We are delighted to introduce this new packaging system into our Toome plant. At AG we are constantly working to reduce our carbon footprint and are committed to sustainable construction.”
AG CEO Stephen Acheson adds: “AG has a corporate social responsibility to be sustainable. We have adopted a long-term corporate philosophy that focuses on the wider message of lasting sustainable strategies and this new switch enables us to further reduce our carbon saving, lowering our carbon footprint even more.” “Each of our sites bring our corporate environmental philosophy to life and we are delighted to be making very positive steps in our journey of carbon reduction”.
To help combat the issues of single-use plastic waste, Russell Roof Tiles has been looking at the practical solutions that can help tackle the vast amount of plastic packaging waste.
Within the construction industry, building materials are typically transported using pallets that are either shrink-wrapped, bound with plastic straps, or cased in protective polystyrene to protect from damage during transportation.
A good idea is to wrap products in larger pack sizes to reduce the amount of packaging per unit. Russell Roof Tiles have found this helps decrease plastic waste at its sites while still providing the protection needed. Another way to reduce waste is to find multi-use of already manufactured plastic wrapping that arrives on site. Where possible, recycle and reuse plastic sheeting to protect products from weather conditions.
As a last option for plastic packaging that can’t be recycled, sending it to a licensed Waste Management Control Centre, where it can be disposed of instead of ending up in landfill.
Dan Hancox, Business Support Manager, says: “We already use many products that are manufactured from 100% recycled plastic to package our tiles, and we are continuing to talk widely to our suppliers about
RRT Burton site
what other alternatives are available in areas where virgin material is used. Looking for recycled alternatives is a difficult and complex process, but there are certainly steps that we can take to ensure we’re making a conscious effort to switch to recycled plastic or alternative materials. However, they must have the same benefits that plastic has to offer.” The issue at hand is complex and there is a new set of challenges faced when selecting recycled plastic alternatives with strength and durability. For building products that are commonly wrapped in polystyrene that protect the tiles from being damaged or broken during transportation, it’s not as easy as just switching materials. It takes time and careful consideration before selecting a recycled alternative that will protect products being delivered across the country without incurring any damage as this has added costs and unhappy customers and merchants. For RRT, customer satisfaction is the top priority and so ensuring that tiles are correctly packaged is key. Hancox adds: “As well as reducing the use of plastics in construction, our sector needs to look at the bigger picture and invest in materials with lower carbon and create processes that produce fewer emissions that will help support this country’s challenging climate goals.”
Russell Roof Tiles is heavily invested in sustainability and has recently joined forces with sustainability experts, Planet Mark to assist in measuring its carbon footprint. Hancox says: “This is another way that businesses can make a change and help to protect the environment. BMJ
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2022
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