Environmental commendations

Tarmac Central Ltd’s Langford Lowfields Quarry has been awarded a top commendation at the 2003 Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) awards. The Nottinghamshire site was selected as an example of best practice as a result of its ongoing partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

"Langford Lowfields Quarry began operating in 1968 and produces up to 300,000 tonnes of sand and gravel a year for local construction use. The site covers 170ha and is being worked and restored progressively in phases."

"To achieve at a more sustainable restoration for the site, Tarmac formed an innovative partnership with the RSPB and landowners Trinity College, Cambridge. This will see the restored land being transferred, in phases, to the RSPB. In time the site will become a major RSPB reserve, incorporating extensive areas of reed bed to help meet UK biodiversity action plan habitat targets."

"The Langford project is regarded as a benchmark for this approach, demonstrating that meeting the need for aggregates can be compatible with the concept of sustainable development, delivering social, economic and environmental benefits."

RMC Group also received a BCE commendation thanks to two innovative projects — a unique cement kiln which has reduced harmful emissions and a road-building material which makes use of thousands of tonnes of waste glass.

"The new state-of-the-art cement kiln at Rugby Cement replaces seven old kilns and uses, for the first time ever, an integrated flue-gas desulphur-ization process which reduces sulphur dioxide emissions — one of the main atmospheric pollutants — to approximately 5% of their old level."

"Meanwhile, RMC’s Aggregates Division, which pioneered the development of Glasphalt for use in road construction, has now processed over 90,000 tonnes of waste glass and laid over 160,000 tonnes of the finished material since production began in 2000."

"Commenting on their award, Mike Foster, executive director of RMC UK, said: ‘These innovative projects are part of the Group’s ongoing commitment to promoting a clean and sustainable industry worldwide.’"

"BCE is an independent awards scheme promoting excellence in business commitment to the environment. It is run in association with the national environmental charity, Groundwork."