SUSTAINABILITY
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Plastic, despite its stigma in conversations around the environment, is one perfect example of a modern, sustainable construction material, as BMJ finds out.
T
he construction industry is currently the largest consumer of natural resources in the UK, using approximately 400 million tonnes of materials and producing 100 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste each year. Additionally, 10% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the sector. Fortunately, according to Steve Bennett, managing director of Dura Products, the future of construction need not be synonymous with waste and high carbon emissions. Increasingly, firms and merchants are beginning to adopt and sell recycled and recyclable materials that are in line with the UK government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help achieve recycling and carbon emission targets, moving the industry towards a more circular model. One such material, Bennett says, is plastic. “Paradoxically, plastic has become a contentious issue in the context of the environment, owing largely to the way it has been handled post- consumption. Yet such a view is narrow-minded and fails to acknowledge its exciting potential for the construction industry, evidenced by its increasing dependence on the material, thanks to its durability, versatility, cost-efficiency, and lightweight nature.”
Bennett explains that the use of plastic does not need to be problematic for the environment providing it is managed correctly and recycled. Recycling produces a sought-after resource from a once discarded commodity, which helps minimise the use of landfill, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, requires less energy, and enables the adoption of a closed-
loop recycling system in which materials can be recovered and reused at end of life. “Our products are a clear example of this, every solution included in our Dura Products range features four key characteristics that make them climate and environmentally responsible. Firstly, they are all created from high recycled content. For example, our flagship product Durakerb, a lightweight kerb solution, is created from 88% recycled polymers,” he says. “Secondly, they have a low carbon method of manufacture, affirmed last September with the announcement of new Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for Durakerb along with Durachannel, a linear surface drainage system, and Duradrain, a dual function kerb and drainage system. The three products recorded carbon footprints of just 1.06, 1.47 and 1.71kg of carbon dioxide per kg respectively.”
He adds that thirdly, the products, largely thanks to the material’s lightweight nature, use lower energy than average construction projects, during transportation and installation. “Finally, they have a high potential to be reused and recycled, enabling carbon recovery at the end of life. All of which helps to explain plastic’s
May 2022
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
growing popularity and status as a 21st century green construction material,” he says. The company’s lightweight, recycled kerbs and kerbside drainage systems have been installed at significant construction projects in the last 12 months, including the installation of Durakerb at Barn Elms, a key location for the construction of the ‘Thames Tideway Tunnel’. Another example, Bennett says, is the McDonald’s in Market Drayton, designed to meet the net zero emissions standard in both construction and everyday operation, as well as the installation of Duradrain overseen by contractors Willmott Dixon, at the Merseyside Police Headquarters in Liverpool.
“With our Durakerb product, we aim to keep costs as low as possible and minimise both the energy and therefore the carbon footprint used in distribution. As a result, we aim to produce, stock, pick and distribute directly locally. In the UK, this is from our site in Norfolk. This means a direct supply route to local contractors and authorities to the site of projects through both builders and civil merchants who form a vital part of our supply chain network. “Over time our strategy will develop, so we can manage our expansion without increasing our carbon footprint. Here, our intention is for product supply to be held locally so as demand increases, we can get the products out quickly and easily by expanding our relationships with builders and civils merchants,” he says.
Looking to the future
“Furthermore, to facilitate the circular model we strive for, as an industry, we need to be able to reclaim and re-use the materials we use. This is particularly pivotal in temporary projects, where it can be reused and recycled before providing further usage in other areas. This idea led us to launch our own Hire, Reclaim and Reuse scheme.”
Bennett says that this is designed to repurpose and extend the longevity of polymers used in construction projects, and has helped Dura products to extend the company’s philosophy which embraces the recyclability of products. He adds: “As we look to the future, it is clear that the construction industry needs to ensure it is part of creating a sustainable and circular business model, for the benefit of the sector and the wider built environment. This requires the industry to be eco-conscious at every stage of the development and building process, assessing the life-cycle of the products that it uses and the environmental impacts or benefits offered. This way, the construction industry will play an integral role in achieving sustainability and creating a better built environment for the future of our planet and generations after us. And we’re confident plastic will play a key role.” BMJ
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