We endeavour to make a positive contribution to the environment through our products and our land and marine management programmes. We are also committed to the principle of continual improvement in environmental performance, and to the prevention of pollution.
Our environmental policy is to:
- comply with all applicable legislation and regulations and to develop and embrace best practice initiatives
- monitor, evaluate and continually improve environmental performance through the adoption of comprehensive environmental management systems
- respond to the needs and concerns of local communities and their environment
- strive towards sustainability, balancing today’s needs with those of the future
- improve employee awareness of environmental issues and encourage the sharing of experience and expertise
Environmental values
We recognise that our sites are important to the local community and can provide an environmental asset throughout their operation and afterwards. By careful management and working with stakeholders, we seek to maximise these benefits.
In addition:
- we strive to protect and, where possible, enhance the environment around our sites
- we plan and implement effective working and restoration of our quarrying operations to ensure sustainable after-use
- we work to enhance biodiversity and geodiversity where possible throughout our operations
- we support the use of our sites for educational purposes and in particular environmental education
We seek to enhance the benefits to society of using natural resources by:
- making effective use of all our mineral resources
- using secondary and recycled materials whenever it is economic and technically feasible
- monitoring and seeking to reduce energy and water consumption
Sustainability
Our health and safety and environmental policies are underpinned by a commitment to the principles of sustainable development. Building materials are essential to achieving a sustainable society. We supply materials for a wide range of uses including transport, infrastructure, water treatment facilities, housing, schools and hospitals.
We invest in modern technology for processing and manufacturing to improve efficiency and resource conservation. This, together with new designs and material specifications, plays an essential part in delivering our commitment to continual improvement.