Cheddleton-based manufacturer of subfloor flooring preparation products and flooring adhesives, F. Ball and Co. Ltd., has continuously evaluated its production processes and the lifecycle of its products to take a number of steps to reduce its environmental impact in recent years.
Recycling rigor
One of F. Ball’s main efforts in their quest for greener working practices is the introduction of their own bucket and bottle recycling scheme, which provides branded receptacles at selected distributor partners, where flooring contractors can dispose of any of the company’s buckets and bottles packaging, for free.
What began as a trial three years ago has been well received by the industry, with binloads of empty containers that would have otherwise been destined for landfill being taken away for reprocessing instead. Earlier this year, the company doubled the number of drop off points at wholesalers and distributors across the UK. Subject to the continued success of the programme, plans are in place for it to be further rolled out to achieve even more widespread geographical coverage.
Better bottles
F. Ball’s bucket and bottle recycling scheme followed its first major sustainability drive: the replacement of its previous bottle packaging with 100% recyclable versions. The new bottles are themselves made from 30% recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and the material being able to be recycled up to ten times.
As a result of the switch, F. Ball and its customers have prevented over 100 tonnes of virgin plastic material – newly created plastic resin without using any recycled materials – from entering the waste stream each year.
Manufacturing measures
Behind the scenes, changes to address the business’s carbon footprint at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters have been introduced with the aim of consuming less energy and increasing the proportion of the energy that comes from renewables.
For example, over 1,000 solar panels with a 250 kW peak (kWp) output generate around one fifth of the site’s electricity supply. The factory benefits from state-of-the-art equipment, including high-efficiency motors and boilers to minimise energy required to manufacture F. Ball products, as well as significantly lessen the energy needed for heating.
Further, LED lighting has been introduced throughout the premises and as a result, has prevented 74 tonnes of carbon entering the atmosphere annually – around the equivalent average annual emissions of 16 vans driven on the road.
Jenny Barnett, Safety Health Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Manager at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., said of the company’s sustainability strategy: “People are increasingly looking to buy from businesses who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. F. Ball will continue to invest and develop so that customers have every confidence that they are making the greenest choice.”
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