We manufacture our products using materials which achieve the desired balance of environmental and operational performance, cost effectiveness, durability, aesthetics and weight. Our principal materials are metals (primarily aluminium, steel and iron), polymers (polypropylene and PVC) and roofing
membranes and insulation.
Using recycled materials is energy and resource efficient. We work with our supply partners to maximise the recycled content of our raw materials, and invest in equipment to allow our manufacturing processes to efficiently use recycled material. The longevity of our products means that products need replacing or repairing less frequently, further reducing the energy needed over a building’s lifespan. The majority of our products are also fully recyclable at the end of their useful lives, contributing to responsible consumption patterns.
Metals tend to be energy intensive to extract and process, but their durability and almost infinite recyclability helps to offset this. Using recycled metals significantly reduces their carbon footprint – in the case of aluminium, recycled material takes up to 95% less energy to produce than primary aluminium.
We therefore seek to maximise the proportion of recycled content in our products – as an example, 80% of our aluminium is derived from recycled sources. We use metals in demanding applications where their durability means lower ongoing maintenance and a significantly longer lifespan than competing/alternative products.
Plastic products are cheaper and less energy intensive than alternative materials such as metals, although they are less durable, subject to environmental degradation, are derived from limited petrochemical resources, and many can only be recycled a number of times before performance deteriorates. Using recycled materials is resource-efficient; 80% of the polymers we use are recycled rather than virgin material. We use plastic where cost efficiency is paramount, and in applications where the products will typically last as long as the building they are attached to.
The membranes and insulation materials supplied by our Building Envelope division help to protect buildings under some of the industry’s leading warranties while contributing significantly to their energy efficiency. We work with our suppliers to maximise the recycled content and lifespan of our products and systems. Cold-applied and self-adhesive installation methods reduce health and safety risks and the energy consumed during installation. We also supply Olivine mineral membranes which absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and helps to offset a building’s greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside blue roof and green roofing technologies we strive to improve construction performance while considering the wellbeing of the people who inhabit and use these buildings. Increasingly we provide non-combustible materials which are being demanded by our client base to improve building safety. Our Biosolar systems couple extensive green roofs with photovoltaic cells allowing solar energy generation while creating biodiverse habitats in urban environments.