The Net Zero Future of Bricks

Brick is not only one of the most attractive of building materials, it is also one of the most sustainable.

It is a natural, quality and maintenance-friendly product which is durable during all phases of its life cycle – from its construction phase with the use of raw materials through to the production process to packaging.

Meanwhile, the porous structure of bricks offers a huge advantage: the ability to accumulate heat. In winter, during sunny days, bricks can store heat from the sun and radiate the energy back when necessary. During the summer they can combat the heat and thus avoid overheating a building.

Created using abundant natural materials, sourced locally and through a domestic supply chain, the UK brickmaking sector is a magnificent example of a sustainable industry.

However, the sustainable nature of brick most emphatically does not mean that the UK’s leading brickmakers are complacent about the challenges posed by carbon emissions and climate change.

All the members of the Brick Development Association (BDA) are committed to a programme of genuine sustainability and a drive towards net zero targets.

For example, Forterra PLC, one of the UK’s largest brick manufacturers, has invested £95m in a new super plant at its Desford site in Leicestershire. The new plant will be capable of producing 180 million bricks per year and will be the largest and most efficient in Europe, significantly reducing the carbon impact of each brick manufactured on the site compared with its current factory.

As part of its mission, Forterra has also teamed up with textiles disposal company Avena to develop a workwear recycling programme across its UK sites.

Brick is not only one of the most attractive of building materials, it is also one of the most sustainable.

Like Forterra, leading brickmaker Ibstock is determined to cut carbon emissions and is aiming to create the world’s first net zero brick factory for Scope 1 and 2 emissions. A combination of reduced process emissions and greater thermal efficiency will cut the carbon intensity of bricks produced at the site by 50%. The remaining emissions will be offset using high quality emission reduction projects.

Ibstock has been on a journey to reduce the carbon emissions from its production facilities for more than a decade, with investment projects in new production capacity at its Throckley, Chesterton, Eclipse and Lodge Lane plants all reducing the carbon intensity of the process. Its new Atlas factory in Walsall is the next step in this ongoing programme.

The company has seen a shift in attitudes from its key stakeholders regarding global climate emissions and believes that the construction products sector has a responsibility to play its part in helping the world meet its emission reduction targets by reducing the carbon intensity of the manufacturing process.

Meanwhile, the York Handmade Brick Company, who provided the bricks for Magdalene College Library in Cambridge – the winner of last year’s RIBA Stirling Prize – has invested £1.5 million in new machinery which is transforming how the company makes bricks and helping achieve net zero objectives.

At the same time, the company has been awarded a grant from the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) for £38,800 to pursue its sustainability agenda.

This special project aims to improve the energy efficiency of the site by capturing the high-grade (high temperature) waste heat from the kilns and utilising it in the dryers and will potentially replace the need for gas-firing in the dryers and lead to significant energy, carbon and cost reductions. The kilns operate at high temperatures (up to about 1,100 degrees celsius) and the exhaust gases from the kilns carry substantial amounts of heat which is currently being wasted.

The solution involves installing a heat exchanger in the exhaust stack of each kiln to capture this heat into high pressure hot water or thermal oil. This hot water/oil will then be stored in a thermal battery. The thermal battery can then provide heat to the brick dryers using a radiator system on demand and allow the operations of the kilns and dryers independent of each other.

Like Forterra, leading brickmaker Ibstock is determined to cut carbon emissions and is aiming to create the world’s first net zero brick factory for Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

All but the most hardened climate change sceptics believe that the planet faces an existential threat because of global warming. It is the duty of the brick manufacturing industry to respond positively to this challenge and that is why the BDA is committed to implementing five over-arching policy aims to reduce waste and increase sustainability.

These are:

• To develop a better understanding of wastes generation across the clay brick and paver industry,
• To minimise wastes produced, and single-use plastic packaging consumed, in the clay brick and paver industry,
• To develop partnerships to cultivate a high level of awareness of wastes minimisation and management throughout the industry, and a desire to re-use and recycle materials where practicable,
• To establish the contribution that the clay brick and paver industry can make to the circular economy and
• To protect the environment by ensuring that we are good stewards of the materials we use.

Ultimately, responsible brickmakers are passionate about consumers being able to make informed choices about the credentials and provenance of their products. They are relentless in looking for more sustainable ways of working so they can look after the planet for future generations. And they are proud to do so.