Ethical manufacture of building materials

H+H is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its manufacturing - with a number of prized certifications to demonstrate that commitment.

H+H’s commitment to ethical manufacturing is not new. The company became the first manufacturer of pre-cast building products to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in 2008 (now the Route to Net Zero Standard), demonstrating year-on-year reductions in the company’s carbon footprint. H+H now uses the BSI standard to manage and monitor carbon and other emissions.

Using energy responsibly

An energy management system in compliance with BS ISO 50001 ‘Energy Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use’ forms an integral part of the company’s BS ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.

Sourcing materials responsibly

H+H was the first company to be awarded a ‘very good’ rating in BES 6001:2008 Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products.

In its most recent audit, in May 2022, this BES 6001 rating was defined as “excellent”: a further demonstration to customers and other stakeholders that H+H is an ethical manufacturer committed to sustainability.

This was an especially proud moment for everyone at H+H, particularly those who work within our factories at Borough Green in Kent, and Pollington I and Pollington 2 in East Yorkshire.

Within our factories, environmental considerations are applied to every aspect of their set-up. This includes the installation of a combined heat and power plant, an advanced rainwater management system and a wind turbine designed to deliver clean energy directly to our Pollington factory.

All water used at the Pollington 2 site comes from either a local canal or a lagoon that collects rainwater from the whole site. At Borough Green, waste water from the manufacturing process is recycled, significantly reducing the quantity of water that must be drawn from mains supplies.

Incremental improvements in carbon reduction

This relentless focus has delivered incremental improvements in a range of environmentally focused measures associated with our manufacturing.

The most recent figures show a 3% reduction in the total energy used per M3 manufactured product and an 8% reduction in the total water used per M3 of manufactured product [figures relate to 2020 v 2019].

Overall CO2e emissions associated with our manufacture of aircrete building materials reduced by 13% in the same time frame, but as production volumes were lower owing to business interruption associated with the pandemic, this figure is not considered significant.

This process of incremental change will accelerate as the plans outlined in the 2020 Sustainability Report are rolled out in each territory and we see a dramatic shift towards the use of renewable energy combined with an ongoing focus on improving efficiency.

Read More: Sustainable Product