Sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products, has confirmed their sustainability credentials with the release of new Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for its Durakerb, Duradrain and Durachannel products.

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – conducted by independent sustainable consultancy Fishwick Environmental Ltd – reveals that Dura Products' DuraKerb – a revolutionary, lightweight and environmentally-friendly kerbstone – has a carbon footprint of just 1.06kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kg. In addition, its Duradrain heavy duty combined kerb and drainage system (CKD) comes in at just 1.47 per kg. The final product to undergo the same analysis is Durachannel, a heavy-duty linear surface drainage system, which has a carbon footprint of 1.71 per kg.

The company has long advocated the benefits of its plastic kerbs, thanks to their high recycled content and lightweight composition. This announcement further demonstrates how the products are helping the construction industry embrace a dramatically lower environmental footprint over concrete-based alternatives.

Strategy for expansion and carbon reduction

The publication of Dura Products LCAs follows the company's new strategy for expansion and wider carbon reduction. With the demand for green construction fueling Dura Products impressive growth, the company has outlined its commitment to ensuring the environmental benefits of its systems are upheld at every stage of the product's lifecycle – from sourcing, production, transportation and installation, through to its end of life.

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Underpinning the strategy, the company commits to always using recycled polymer when manufacturing its products, ensuring it continues to divert waste from landfill and reduce demand for virgin plastic. This pledge is crucial in ensuring carbon emissions don't increase as the company expands.

Dura Products also strives to make sure its systems arrive on-site using as little energy as possible. From making sure all available trailer space is used to transport goods to stocking products locally in emerging territories, the company is taking strides to reduce the impact of long-haul transportation. This is, in turn, aiding availability and accessibility to ensure businesses across Europe and beyond can reap the environmental benefits afforded by the Dura Products range.

Another factor responsible for emissions is transportation due to the use of heavy goods vehicles (HGV) when delivering materials to customers. Dura Products' systems are comprised of recycled plastic making them significantly lighter compared to the traditional concrete equivalent. This saves the environment from carbon during transport as the product is limited in load size by volume, rather than weight. 

Further efficiencies are also being made through appropriate partnership management. The strategy outlined by Dura Products states that for already developed markets, its partners take fully packed loads to split and support projects locally. For example, Irish supplier Killeshal Precast generally hold over 2,000 units of stock at any time. This strategy is replicated for all partners in the UK and across Mainland Europe to ensure growth within a sustainable life cycle.

For new markets, Dura Products will initially supply direct from the works on a project-to-project basis, but with a long-term goal of holding stock locally. This is achieved by collaborating with like-minded distributors that share the same ethos and technical expertise to help generate interest and demand in the respective region. For the past two years, the company has been working with Peleg RWS in Israel to introduce the concept of sustainable combined kerb and drainage solutions and is now close to securing its first approval in Jerusalem. The low carbon strategy for supply and supporting projects will then be adopted as the company expands into new markets.

Steve Bennett, Managing Director of Dura Products, commented: "As the construction industry strives to lessen its impact on the planet, we're seeing an increased demand for our eco-friendly kerbing and drainage systems. While this is great news, we must evaluate our products over their full life cycle using accurate and independently verified data. Proper coordination and monitoring of our carbon footprint will enable our business to expand, without devaluing the environmental benefits of using our products."