New partnership committed to creating low carbon building products

IBSTOCK, a manufacturer of clay and concrete building products, and Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) have teamed up to create ‘ultra-low’ carbon concrete products.

Having recently launched its ESG Strategy to 2030, Ibstock is committed to improving the environmental performance of its products. Its milestone 2030 target is to achieve 20% of sales turnover revenue from new and sustainable products.

Ibstock is seeking to develop new solutions with improved environmental performance. EFC is said to be more sustainable than traditional concrete, with around 70% less embodied COâ‚‚. It is made from a binder consisting of industrial waste products, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and pulverised fly ash with no Portland Cement.

The partnership will see EFC’s zero-cement concrete technology integrated into Ibstock’s portfolio of building products for the construction industry, including its range of products for the rail, infrastructure and housing markets.

Darren Waters, COO at Ibstock, said, “As a business at the heart of building, our ambition is to be the most sustainable manufacturer of concrete products in the UK. Collaborating with EFC marks a significant step in achieving this goal as we collaborate and innovate to manufacture materials for life.

“More than ever, customers are looking for products which offer great functionality but also have robust sustainability credentials. In 2020, the Ibstock concrete division invested in a new concrete laboratory at its site in Anstone, Sheffield, to facilitate the development of sustainable concrete that features reduced embodied carbon and therefore has a lower environmental impact. At this advanced facility, we are already developing and testing innovative new concrete mixes that incorporate EFC to ensure we achieve our own sustainability goals, as well as contribute to those of the wider sector, without compromising on quality or performance.”

EFC UK regional manager Andy Izod added, “We are delighted to strengthen our presence in the UK through this partnership with Ibstock. We will not only focus on introducing Earth Friendly Concrete into the wider construction market across a range of projects, regions, applications and supply chains but will also share our ground-breaking technology with partners like Ibstock, which will help them to achieve ultra-low carbon outcomes for their business.”