Ibstock has been continuously improving its environmental credentials and sustainability; it is fully supportive of the British Ceramic Confederation and the Brick Development Association Initiatives. Clay brick was one of the pioneer group for the development of sustainability strategies.
Ibstock has fully embraced the Government’s strategy for sustainability. Clay brick, has a long service life, is re-usable upon demolition and is completely inert. Clay can be recycled back into manufacture; wastage is minimal. Clay is taken mostly from quarries adjacent to the factories, often in the countryside, where the impact of transport is minimised.
While brick requires significant energy to produce, over its life the energy consumption is outweighed by the energy used by a building’s occupiers. Clay brick has high thermal mass and low conductivity, contributing to the building’s own efficiency.
Ibstock is committed to better business through sustainable and ‘green’ strategies and employs a full time environmental manager. Our efforts were recognised by winning the Sustainability Award at The Building Awards 2004 for the depth and comprehensiveness of our environmental programme. Ibstock is the first building materials supplier to win this prestigious award.
Specific Initiatives
- All 24 of Ibstock’s production sites have been independently verified and certified to ISO 14001. This exceeds all the other UK brick manufacturers combined.
- Alternative sources of energy, including the use of wind turbines are under development.
- Investment in and the use of low emission vehicles by our hauliers are encouraged.
- Major investment in kiln flue gas scrubbing has resulted in at least 50% reduction of fluorides and at least one third reduction in Sulphur Dioxide since 2000.
- At least 36% of water used in manufacturing is recycled and a further 3% is abstracted from wells, reducing the demand on mains water supplies.
- Recycling of oils has increased 18 fold since the introduction of our environmental systems.
- In 2002 alone, more than 10,500 trees were planted at Ibstock sites; 4.5 hectares of land were restored and landscaped.
- Annually over 40,000 tons of inert secondary materials were recycled through the manufacturing process.
- The introduction of our project management programme can significantly reduce product and process waste on projects.
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