Sustainability is the hottest topic around and something all construction industry professionals are having to take into account when conducting their day to day work.

With reports stating that construction itself produces one-third of all UK waste, the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes which declares that all new homes need to achieve a Code Level 4 rating by 2013 and the Government’s call for all new homes to be zero-carbon by 2016, construction professionals know they have a responsibility to go green, and fast.

Baggeridge is particularly proud that it is able to supply the UK’s leading house builders with two bricks that are manufactured using 100 per cent recycled material. Its Kingsbury Smooth Cream and Kingsbury Classic Cream are both manufactured using fireclay – a waste product generated from mining, in accordance with guidelines issued by the UK clay brick sector initiative Materials from Alternative, Recycled and Secondary Sourced (MARSS).

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), whose mission it is to accelerate resource efficiency by creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, a good level of recycled content for brick is 10 per cent while best practice is 30 per cent. Mark Morris, sales director for Baggeridge said: “To achieve 100 per cent recycled content with these two bricks from our Kingsbury factory is a huge accomplishment. To exceed what is considered by WRAP to be best practice for recycled content by such a large percentage is a credit to the commitment of our manufacturing processes and our pledge to continually strive to improve our environmental commitment.”

The zero carbon target is becoming increasingly important for house builders in particular, with many making it their mission to build greener and greener by using a range of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and eco-friendly features.

Firmly believing the benefits of clay in manufacture far outweigh those of rival materials, Mark continues: “The use of clay in building is a way of ensuring natural resources are used to their full potential whilst also helping to reduce energy costs. Clay has high thermal mass properties compared to some other types of masonry (aerated concrete is about ? the thermal mass of clay brick), and any waste clay produced during production is returned to the process ‘at source’ or replaced in clay stockpiles for future use. This is something Baggeridge ensures happens at all of its factories.”

Some 50 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions are due to the energy used to heat, cool and light buildings so it’s therefore vital the energy consumption of private homes is taken into account when choosing construction materials. Brick offers extremely low whole-life CO2 emissions and thanks to its high thermal mass properties, helps keep homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter reducing the need for air conditioning and winter heating fuel, both of which are culprits of damaging carbon emissions.

To achieve the required Code Level 4 rating by 2013, house builders are now looking closely at construction materials they are currently using, which is why it should come of interest to know that brick is the ideal choice of material for meeting Code Level 4 – this is the highest level that can be influenced by the structure of the building.

Mark concludes: “So many of the ‘state of the art’ prototype homes which house builders are creating can look cold and uninviting and lack the character which can be achieved with brick. However, as Persimmon Homes is proving in Irlam, Manchester, its Living-i development is a great example of how an aesthetically striking brick home can still offer substantial environmental benefits.”