SUSTAINABILITY
Our ambition is simple: to be the "HSBM" of the North East - THE Hub for Sustainable Building Materials!
Sustainability is a hot-button issue at the moment and rightly so. But it’s not just businesses choosing to be more environmentally friendly that’s driving it, it's also the government. In fact, the British Government has recently stated that by 2035, carbon emissions in this country need to be cut by 78% and net carbon output, or a 100% reduction, needs to be achieved by 2050.
And since the construction industry is responsible for about 45% of carbon emissions in the UK, it’s fair to say it’s pretty important!
HELPING YOU BECOME CARBON EFFICIENT
Our focus is to help others in the construction industry achieve the government’s target so we can help build a brighter future for the country and planet. Remember, People, Planet, Profit - it's the ethos of Alpaca and something we are passionate about as a business.
It’s on us to work out how we can work towards this goal, which is why we’re introducing a range of different materials and why we're always experimenting to become as sustainable as possible without compromising on quality. From building breeze blocks out of recycled material to making bricks more carbon-friendly, as well as looking to new technologies and techniques from an operational standpoint, we're doing our bit to build towards a brighter, greener future.
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
We’re also embracing new technologies and making strides when it comes to the technological aspect of sustainable business practice. We already have an electric car charger at the office and have moved much of our team over to hybrid electric vehicles, but we understand we can do more.
This is why we’re also exploring the options of electric trucks for our business among a range of other tools and techniques we can utilise to become carbon neutral.
CREATING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Of course, we can only work to the infrastructure in place, so things like electric trucks might be a little way off at the moment. However, it’s something that we're passionate about at McGovern so we always make sure that if the infrastructure allows it, we’ll do our best to introduce it.
It's a simple case of if we do our bit and speak to suppliers about changing their ways, we can each contribute to creating a circular economy that positively impacts us all.
So, if you’re interested in anything to do with sustainability and are eager to find out more, contact our team and let’s discuss the ways in which you can help make a positive change today.
STARTING A CONVERSATION
We’re excited to start a conversation about the ways we can become sustainable as an industry. Take concrete for example, why not start introducing concrete alongside clay and ease lead times to two weeks rather than 32? Why wouldn’t we look to use a material that’s 49% more carbon-efficient with faster turnarounds?
Embracing this could mean more homes are built to help with the massive shortages in the country at the moment, and what’s more, it could mean more sustainable, beautiful, and most importantly, affordable homes for a generation.
So why aren’t we educating young bricklayers on the benefits and drawbacks of all the materials available, rather than sticking our heads in a bag of cement and hoping for the issue to go away by itself? That's why it's our ambition to create our very own Bricklaying Academy, so we can teach future generations how to build amazing homes using a variety of different materials.
All of these are things to consider, and while we aren’t set to change how we operate and the materials we use anytime soon, a conversation needs to start happening in the construction industry so we can all work towards the common goal of carbon neutrality in the future.