Partner Article

Sustainability on Track for Manufacturer

Ahead of launching its long-term sustainability goals pioneering manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles is marking what it has already achieved to date.

Russell Roof Tiles which manufactures thousands of concrete pitched roof tiles and accessories at three sites in the Midlands and Scotland started its sustainability journey over 5 years ago. The company’s long terms ambition is to reduce emissions that damage to the environment and improve its operational efficiency, whilst strengthening the wider community.

Over this time the company has invested significantly in terms of both time and money in changing policies and adopting new technologies part of its sustainability commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

In the last 5 years the company has reduced its energy usage per tonne of concrete by 8 per cent. This has been achieved by improving its heat efficiencies improving workplace design (what does this mean) and investment in upgrading equipment.

In the same period the company has reduced its kilograms of Co2 emission created from gas, electricity and oil usage per tonne of concrete by 34 percent. This is in some part due to the installation of its own CHP system (Combined Heat and Power), 3 years ago. This is a more sustainable option than using power from the national grid. Generating electricity when needed, a CHP unit uses excess heat for heating and hot water. Due to this CHP Russell Roof Tiles has seen a 67 percent reduction in electricity demand from the grid, all of which has been replaced by its own renewable energy.

Not purely focusing on carbon generation, the company recycles water where possible and has reduced its reliance and use of mains water by 45 per cent over the past 5 years.

Russell Roof Tiles has worked hard on waste reduction and now zero waste is sent to landfill, concrete waste is crushed and recycled as aggregate, in addition plastic and UPVC components – manufactured for roofing accessories, are recycled back into production. Overall, the company has reduced its waste by 47 per cent per tonne of concrete.

Transport is another key area for the firm, which has reconfigured the load size of customer deliveries which has resulted in a reduction of Co2 by 30 per cent per tonne of product delivered. It has worked hard to source materials locally, where possible and has so far reduced delivery distances by 9 per cent. In terms of working with suppliers Russell Roof Tiles was the first British roof tile manufacturer to have achieved an “Excellent” rating for responsible supplier sourcing.

The company is also ensuring its commitment to sustainability in the widest sense and has focused just as hard on its corporate social responsibility and has been a keen advocate of local community work local to all of its three sites. Enhancing social welfare as well specific environmental impacts, Russell Roof Tiles has raised over £100,000 for, and with local good causes, including health, social welfare and education.

Daniel Hancox, Business Support Manager at Russell Roof Tiles is currently heading the firm’s task force to look at further sustainable initiatives. He comments “We are dedicated to reducing the impact we make on our environment, both in terms of manufacturing and transportation. We’re going to be shortly announcing our future sustainability targets but think we have already achieved a lot in the past few years and wanted to celebrate this.”

Russell Roof Tiles provides roofing solutions for leading UK house builders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects, where sustainability and eco-credentials are of the utmost priority.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .