SUSTAINABILITY
At our key Concrete Products plant at Northfleet, Kent, production equipment has been upgraded through a £100k CapEx investment to enable increased supply and ongoing maintenance. The new high-strength banding process means that plastic hoods are no longer required on dense and lightweight bricks and concrete blocks. As a result, Northfleet has eradicated 6.1 tonnes of plastic, or the equivalent of over 65,000 plastic water bottles, per year from its traditional plastic packaging process.
Nationwide pallet recovery Our timber reduction programme is further supported by CEMEX’s pallet recovery scheme which works nationally with merchants and distributors to recycle and reduce timber waste across the supply chain to make greater environmental efficiencies.
Under the scheme, all re-usable wooden pallets are collected free of charge by ELM, CEMEX’s designated pallet collector, who refurbishes and returns the pallets to CEMEX UK Cement for re-use. Any pallets damaged beyond repair are recycled. Nationwide collections are available within 10 working days on average from request, with capacity for up to 250 pallets (550 pallets for an articulated vehicle) per load, but can be as few as 50 pallets.
Our recent introduction of ReadyBlock Zero, the UK’s first zero carbon concrete block, has been overwhelmingly well received by our merchants and customers. ReadyBlock Zero is part of CEMEX’s VERTUA family of low carbon and sustainable Urbanization Solutions, with residual CO2 offset to make it a CarbonNeutral® product, in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. It represents an important and timely step for industry ahead of new legislation and the Future Homes Standard. By 2025, all new homes must produce 75-80% less carbon emissions. Designed to significantly lower carbon emissions by reducing the impact of new build construction, ReadyBlock Zero helps housebuilders and developers to meet the new environmental standards.
and can continue to fill the shelves of builder’s merchants to keep a steady level of sustainable materials readily available to customers, Hancox adds, explaining that Russell Roof Tiles, has spent the past few years investing in sustainability across its three sites.
as they have a lifespan in excess of 60 years, during which, they require very low levels of maintenance and use considerably less energy during manufacturing when compared to its similar clay counterparts.
“Larger format tiles are often classed as a “greener” choice as they are delivered to site in fewer batches, resulting in reduced transport. The other major benefits away from the cost, is the speed the roof can be fitted in nearly half the time the plain tiles would take, thus ultimately saving money for both contractors and developers,” he says.
Manufacturers also need to continue to work on product development to ensure they keep up with the demands of the modern building site
“From the foundations of a building right up to the roof it’s important to check whether or not the materials you are using are sustainable and meet the ever-changing building regulations. Getting this right from the start will help prevent the need for expensive retrofit or remedial works further down the line.” “It's a challenge that faces the whole of the supply chain, but by working together to make little changes here and there, we can make a huge difference overall. It’s time to start embracing sustainability and to recognise the value it brings.”
“For all merchants small and large, we would encourage them to make room for sustainability and showcase the efficiency of these materials and how they can benefit builders in the long run. There has never been a greater opportunity to promote sustainable products, with greater shelf space.”
May 2022
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
In addition to plastic reduction, Northfleet is continuing to make environmental savings in timber by increasing the volume of void packs which reduces the volume of timber palleted products. Over 100 tonnes of timber – roughly the equivalent of 100 ten foot high oak trees – was saved in 2021 and it is expected this figure will increase further in 2022. We are looking at lots of different options to continuously improve our packaging, without compromising product quality. This includes a constant watching eye on recycled materials and our approach to repair and re-use across the plant.
We are continuing to balance market demand for our products and services with a climate responsible approach across all of our operations. CEMEX UK constantly innovates to provide merchants with a broad range of sustainable products and solutions, combining industry needs alongside environmental challenges. BMJ
Hancox adds that it’s vital that merchants recognise the role they play in supplying and recommending sustainable products to housebuilders and developers to ensure that buildings meet the eco-friendly expectations of the 21st century. However, sustainability goes beyond just products, it is about ensuring every part of the supply chain is doing more to be energy efficient and carbon free. “These can be small changes such as using recycled packaging, signing up to a pallet return scheme or even making the switch to electric equipment where possible, which is something that we have done recently to reduce emissions across our sites by investing in a fleet of electric forklifts.
“Demand for green products will only continue to rise. For the industry to move towards a sustainable future, merchants and manufacturers needs to work together and make changes where possible to overcome the issues. This can be achieved by educating merchants on the eco-friendly benefits of their stocked products, and helping builders choose materials that are suitable and sustainable for their new and refurbished projects.” BMJ
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