Hanson cuts waste to landfill by more than 35% in a year

Hanson, part of the HeidelbergCement Group, and supplies construction firms with aggregates, concrete, asphalt and cement, achieved the results, which equates to diverting 4,000 tonnes, by implementing a range of measures.

These included consolidating separate waste disposal contracts across its sites to a single, multi-site contract; introducing enhanced recycling systems at all sites; and increasing its use of cement bypass dust, previously a waste product, as an agricultural land improvement product.

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Hanson has pledged to reduce the amount of non-process waste heading to the UK’s landfill sites by 85% between 2010 and 2020, mainly by reducing the amount of waste produced at its sites and increasing recycling. Other sustainability targets for the period include achieving a 20% reduction in NOx emissions, cutting the amount of dust generated by 10%, reducing carbon emissions from production by 10% per tonne and slashing mains water supply consumption by 25% per tonne across the business.

Commenting on the results, published in the company’s 2014 performance and sustainability report, Paul Lacey, head of sustainability 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.”

Challenges obvious
Hanson has made significant investment in sustainability, with initiatives including the development of an 8MW solar farm at its cement works in Ketton, Rutland. However, some areas of the report highlight the fact that Hanson still faces further challenges in achieving its targets.

The company’s carbon emissions from production, for example, have actually risen by 5% per tonne since 2010, due to sites working below capacity, the use of less biofuel, a change in product mix and increased market demand for products responsible for producing more CO2.

In March, edie.net reported that four of the UK’s leading property developers had called on the construction industry to tackle the issue of embodied carbon, the carbon dioxide emissions associated with manufacture and use of building materials.

Hanson’s full report can be viewed here.

edie staff