Northstone does the Double
19 December 2008
The Northstone Materials Division had a double success this autumn as their new concrete roof tile factory at Toome won two prestigious environmental awards.
The factory won the ‘Environmental Project of the Year’ category of the Quarry Products Association environmental awards scheme. The judges were particularly impressed with the environmental aspects of the innovative design. These included:-
- rainwater harvesting for use in the tile mix.
- control of site run off water by way of a sustainable drainage system.
- carbon footprint minimisation and energy efficiency which indicate energy savings of over 50% for every 1000 tiles produced.
- use of ECO channels in the factory floor to contain spills and to reuse resin booth washings.
- effective oil and chemical storage and control.
- dust minimisation.
This success was followed up by the Division also winning the Sustainable Ireland ‘Energy and Innovation’ award in recognition of the approach to the design and construction of the roof tile factory. The judging panel in their remarks focused on the energy reduction techniques integrated into the design such as the fireproof stone wool, lightweight cladding which meant that the working area does not require internal heating, even in winter.
