SUSTAINABILITY
Russell Roof Tiles
A
s the UK Government’s net zero 2050 target moves closer, those operating in construction need to accelerate their sustainability strategies,
as reports suggest that only half have a clear roadmap to reaching net zero. This is against a backdrop of other challenges namely the uncertainty of the supply chain, inflated by events in Europe plus rising costs of raw materials, energy, wages and utility bills. Businesses are doing all they can to protect margins, increase efficiencies and take out unnecessary costs, meaning that sustainability has in most cases taken a back seat. But with the construction industry alone equating to 45% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the issue needs to be addressed and a plan of action in place to significantly reduce this number to zero.
Russell Roof Tiles announced earlier this year its intention to be carbon neutral in 2050, 10 years ahead of the Government’s plans. The firm has created decarbonisation plans, increased the reuse of products and raw materials; explored greener packaging alternatives, utilised cleaner electricity, and investing in modern technology.
Dan Hancox, Business Support Manager, and sustainability lead at Russell Roof Tiles is keen to explore other commitments that can help to mitigate the global warming crisis and align more businesses with the net zero strategy. These areas can equally be adopted by both manufacturers and builder’s merchants.
Transportation
An area of sustainability that should be factored into both manufacturers and merchants net zero strategies is to look at the way products and materials are transported, and why this has an impact on the environment. Switching to electric trucks to transport products is one solution to lowering C02 emissions. Replacing vehicles with fuel-efficient, hybrid or electric ones, is a longer-term investment which can save on running costs, maintenance and C02. If this investment isn’t an affordable option due to rising electric prices or budget constraints, focus should be centred on vehicle load fill and trip mileage efficiency, to maximise the productivity versus carbon premium. Paper accounts for 26% of landfill, so reducing the amount of paper would
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A NET ZERO FUTURE
Pitched roof tile manufacturer, Russell Roof Tiles is on the way to achieving its net-zero goal before 2050.
immediately reduce carbon footprint. Merchants and manufacturers could use electronic proof of delivery systems and switch from paper receipts and delivery notes to digital copies. Digitalisation across building supplies gives businesses the opportunity to adopt a greener strategy, improve customer experience and improve supply chain relationships.
Modern technology In the construction industry, there are technologies that can bring tool and equipment emissions to near zero, by electrifying as much as possible and opting for energy-efficient tools and access equipment. However, many are reluctant to invest in modern machinery as they often come with initial high price tags. It’s important to bear in mind, that opting for a cheaper alternative can be more expensive in the long run. Machinery that is sold at a low cost tends to be made using low-quality materials meaning a shorter life span, additional costs to replace parts more frequently, and more waste. Switching to equipment that runs on renewable energy will save money in the long run, and allows businesses to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions. Also finding out what machines need to be on stand-by and which can be switched off is a simple way to reduce emissions. This can be done by manual calculations or using sub-metering, which can be relatively low cost but very effective. With an estimated 50,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year generated by the construction
industry, it’s clear that there are unsustainable practices in the industry that also need to be addressed and adapted to meet the net zero goal. The main problem for the industry is that the majority of building materials being transported are either wrapped in single-use plastic or encased in protective polystyrene – which cannot yet be recycled.
Packaging
Although ensuring that products and materials arrive safely is a top priority, trialling recycled plastic that can shrink-wrap products is one way that Russell Roof Tiles are combatting the issues with single-use plastic. Trials at the roof tile manufacturers’ site have so far led to a 9% reduction of packaging per tonne of concrete product.
Energy Efficiency
Being energy-efficient can involve anything from replacing incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs (which use 80% less energy and have 20 times the lifespan) and installing motion- sensor lighting to purchasing energy-efficient machinery and equipment.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential for all industries and will help to reach the net zero 2050 goal. As one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases, the construction industry has a large role to play but removing single-use plastic packaging, investing in modern machinery, and measuring energy efficiency, will help create a carbon- neutral future. n
A supplement to builders merchants journal November 2022
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