What is SustainableBrick.com?
SustainableBrick.com aims to be a resource for industry news, innovation and information regarding the sustainability of clay products. Its aim is to highlight technology advancements, decarbonisation strategy projects, investments and compelling initiatives to support the sector as it continues to evolve in the transition to net zero. Its goal is to also inform specifiers, homeowners and housebuilders as to why clay brick is the oldest manmade building product and why you should continue to build with clay brick to advocate for a sustainable built environment for the future.
Collaboration to achieve net zero
SustainableBrick.com is a Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC initiative that hopes to inspire further engagement and collaboration amongst its peers and the wider sector. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, with an overarching goal to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.” To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030. The construction industry is responsible for approximately 40% of global CO2 emissions – and is under pressure to change. Significant opportunities exist for organisations to take on this challenge and Michelmersh is working on a variety of initiatives such as SustainableBrick.com to aid in our transition to net zero.
Why use Brick?
Michelmersh is proud to make environmentally friendly, natural, durable and thermally efficient products that will last for hundreds of years and can still be recycled or reused. This inherently tactile, natural and non-toxic product has a multitude of aesthetic qualities; colour, tone, texture, finish and size, all of which add to the flexibility of brick. Ever-increasing in popularity for its credible fire-resistant properties and flood resilience, its sense of safety, solidity and security continue to be the reason housebuilders and homeowners trust in brick to add value to their properties. Brick is additionally recognised for its inherent sustainable credentials, boasting impressive longevity, low maintenance, zero operational carbon, thermally efficient qualities and can continue to be reused through the lives of several buildings, and therefore shaping our architectural environment for generations to come.
Think Longer
By choosing durable materials which have a long lifespan, the expected life of a building can be prolonged, minimising the need for frequent replacements. Additionally, when a building reaches the end of its life, brick can be reused and recycled, extending its usefulness for multiple generations and further reducing waste. This cycle of reuse and recycling exemplifies the importance of incorporating sustainable products in the construction industry, not only for environmental benefits but also for long-term cost-effectiveness and resource conservation.