Pioneering sustainability in the building industry, Brickworks Building Products proudly celebrate the significant 10-year milestone of their Daniel Robertson’s range of certified carbon neutral bricks.
Manufactured at the Brickworks Longford, Tasmania facility, the Daniel Robertson range was a sustainability breakthrough, receiving carbon neutral certification under the original Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard in 2013.
Brickworks’ Longford plant was the first – and remains the only – certified carbon neutral brick manufacturing plant in Australia. Meeting the strict requirements for a Carbon Neutral Certified product involves more than the reduction of emissions from the direct manufacturing process. The emissions resulting from ancillary operations such as raw material extraction, onsite transport, product deliveries across Australia and internationally, water usage, packaging, waste, business flights and business operations, including administration are also included.
The successful product certification has been partly achieved through a rigorous and ongoing program of improvements to manufacturing and associated operations including water recycling, waste handling and recycling, and energy efficiency projects with incremental reductions in the consumption of natural gas and electricity.
However, the most significant factor in achieving low carbon emissions at the Longford plant is the use of sawdust as the biofuel to fire the brick kilns. A small amount of natural gas is used to commence the firing cycle, which is then maintained using sawdust, a waste material of the local timber industry.
Over the last 10 years, the Longford operation has avoided over 70,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, with the use of sawdust as a kiln-firing fuel resulting in a significantly more sustainable manufacturing process. The Longford plant’s remaining carbon emissions are offset by purchasing carbon credits.
Brett Ward, General Manager of International Marketing at Brickworks said, “Brickworks is shaped by an innovative approach to sustainability. We are immensely proud to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of certified carbon neutral bricks in Australia.”
“Brickworks remains committed to identifying new initiatives and opportunities of minimising our carbon footprint. Sustainability is at the core of the Brickworks business, with environmentally conscious and responsible design embedded in our ethos, to create beautiful products that last forever.”
Brickworks’ 100-year guarantee on clay bricks is a testament to the longevity of bricks as a resilient and sustainable building material. The minimal need to replace and repair bricks further reduces the embodied emissions over the life of the building. Bricks are also recyclable, offering a superior life cycle to other, less resilient building materials.
The unique thermal mass benefits of bricks, energy efficiency advantages, reusability and durability offered without the need for resource-hungry finishes, all add to the sustainability credentials of Brickworks’ bricks.
An industry leader, Brickworks has demonstrated their long-standing commitment to building a greener future, marking 10 years of certified carbon neutral bricks with their Daniel Robertson range. Brickworks celebrates a decade of sustainable progress through the range, demonstrating their ongoing dedication to creating beautiful products with robust environmental credentials.
