Sustainable Manufacture
The production industry has responded to the sustainability agenda with tangible improvements in processes and use of constituent materials. Furthermore improvements to minimise environmental impacts, and deliver economic and social benefits pre dated the sustainability agenda.
Because blocks and mortar are produced in the UK, their production is subject to legal requirements and market imperatives that together with corporate social responsibility have led to UK blocks and mortar being produced very sustainably. Members of the Concrete Block Association and Aircrete Product Association are signatures of the British Precast sustainability charter.
This includes a requirement for annual company 3rd party sustainability audits. They are also part of the Concrete Industry Sustainability Strategy, which comprises all constituents (e.g. cement, aggregates, fly ash) and end products (e.g. mortar, aircrete blocks, aggregate blocks).
This strategy coordinates the improvement target setting across the constituent & product industry and annually reports performance. The day clay brick industry has similar initiatives led by the Brick Development Association.
Over 6,000 hectares of priority habitat has been created to date on restored sites of mineral extraction; and a further 6,000 hectares of priority habitat is committed to in restoration plans.
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