Buildings material company Hanson has reported in its 2014 Sustainability Report that it is now using 62 per cent recycled aggregates in precast concrete and concrete blocks.
After falling in 2012 to 50 per cent from a peak of 55 per cent in 2010, the company has managed to increase the use of recycled aggregates to its current high total for 2013.
Although its use of the cement replacement Regen (ground granulated blastfurnace slag) has fallen to 37 per cent in 2013 from a high of 40 per cent in 2011, Hanson is still confident it will meet a 45 per cent cement replacement target by 2020.
Indeed, by 2013 it has managed to increase the use of by-products or waste used as a raw material in cement (excluding Regen) to 6.43 per cent from 5.31 per cent in 2010.
Hanson also reported that it has reduced waste to landfill by over 4,000 tonnes or 35.5 per cent during 2013. This was despite demolishing two factories in the buildings division which creates non-production waste that cannot be recycled.
Working with Biffa, Hanson has dry mixed waste bins at all sites to collect plastic, paper and cardboard.
The use of cement bypass dust as an agricultural improver, due to its high lime and potassium content, means that in 2012 and 2013 none of this dust was sent to landfill.
Hanson head of sustainability Paul Lacey said: “We still have a lot of work to do to achieve our 2020 targets, particularly those relating to energy and CO2. Employee engagement and involvement is critical and we will continue to promote the principles of working sustainably and embed them into everything we do.”
