Hanson sets the responsible standard

Building materials supplier Hanson has been certified with the Responsible Sourcing of Materials (RSM) standard for two complete product lines – ready-mixed concrete and aggregates – covering nearly 300 UK production sites.

The BRE Environmental and Sustainability Standard (BES) 6001:2008 has been awarded to Hanson’s quarry products division, which encompasses 212 ready-mixed concrete plants, 72 quarries and 40% of the company’s UK workforce.

The RSM standard covers the environmental and social issues for organisational management and supply chain management, including all the processes from the origin of raw materials, through all stages of the manufacturing process to point of sale.

Martin Crow, Hanson UK’s head of environment, said: “Our proactive approach to sustainability is something that has been integral to the company for some time, so receiving the new standard for RSM across two product lines is very gratifying. We are one of the first heavy building materials businesses in the UK to be certified.

“Over the last few years, we have instigated a number of initiatives to enhance our responsible approach. These have included programmes to improve water recycling, minimise waste and reduce energy consumption. The introduction of automated meters to measure power used by each activity at sites is already providing valuable information on energy consumption and carbon emissions and we will be using this to achieve further improvements over the coming years.”