With tighter trade recycling rules coming into force in the spring, construction firms are having to scrutinise every area of their processes to minimise waste and reduce costs – with many choosing almost waste-free insulation materials to save money.
DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling regulations, which impact businesses with more than ten employees, mean all waste products need to be separated by type and collected by a registered waste collector, with unlimited fines for organisations which repeatedly flout the rules.
Even if they are not prosecuted, poorly managed waste recycling can incur costs of £118 an hour of the Environment Agency’s time for dealing with any infringements or wasted journey fees applied by waste management providers for poorly sorted batches.
The Actis team is growing
“Reducing waste in the first place is an obvious first step in ensuring a construction company both remains compliant and saves money by not wasting materials,” says Mark Cooper, UK and Ireland sales director of insulation specialist Actis.
“Our products really do produce very little waste. Because they’re flexible they can be squeezed into awkward corners, unlike when using solid alternatives where sometimes sections need to be cut off which can’t be repurposed elsewhere. Because of the mass of the materials – they’re very thin as they’re made up from many layers of foil – the offcuts are tiny.”
His team is seeing a growing number of builders switching from traditional PIR board to its insulating reflective blankets to save money on material costs. And now, the added financial burden of paying for specialist recycling services and concern about being fined for non-compliance is encouraging more tradespeople to follow their lead.
Case studies show customer satisfaction
Timber frame specialist Scandia-Hus, which uses Actis products in all its show homes, loves the almost complete lack of waste produced – totalling just three black bags per property!
Builder Ben Wardell, from All Round Developments in York, says witnessing the litany of struggles endured by builders using PIR board or glass fibre spurred him into choosing Actis products.
“Since switching to Actis, we’ve seen a significant reduction in waste, as every piece can be used. We’ve also saved on labour time, as the material is much quicker to fit.”
Northamptonshire architectural designer Stuart Ellis, whose own home featured in George Clarke’s TV show Remarkable Renovations, believes Actis products are the future (as well as the present!)
“Using Actis products is the thinnest way to achieve the desired U-values – and it’s really easy to fit. There’s also less waste than PIR board, which has the added benefit of taking up very little skip space.”
The insulation specialist has a zero-waste policy and its products are 100% recyclable. All offcuts are recovered, crushed and reintroduced into the manufacturing process and minimal water is used during production.
Actis’ sustainability credentials have been recognised by environmental bodies, with its Hybris product the only reflective insulation in Europe to have earned international Cradle to Cradle Certified® Certification.
The company has also been awarded a silver medal by EcoVadis, making it among the top one per cent of companies assessed by the global sustainability and corporate social responsibility organisation in the plastics manufacturing sector.
For more information on reducing waste by using Actis products, contact the technical team on 01249 462888 or visit https://www.insulation-actis.com
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