Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through its latest investment in sustainable packaging at its Toome plant.

AG has invested in the new state-of-the-art T-Rex packaging as part of its overall environmental strategy and commitment to responsible and sustainable operating practice with the new system reducing carbon emissions.

The pioneering system, supplied by Kraft Curing Systems, uses 100% biodegradable pellets that are sprayed onto each product layer for added surface protection before the next layer is added on top, without compromising on the quality of the finished goods. The system replaces the customary foam layers which are traditionally set between layers to protect the product whilst in transit.

Customarily, the foam layers are disposed of by contractors on site, but the T-Rex packaging system uses granules which biodegrade naturally in-situ, removing the need for disposal.

The investment in the packaging system allows AG to deliver on product requirements through a more efficient and sustainable method further reducing carbon emissions through drastically reducing the amount of packaging in their products.

The system highlights AG’s commitment to responsible operating practice and is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives created by the firm which include switching to 100% renewable energy as well as utilising bio-LPG instead of the industry-standard LPG resulting in a carbon saving of 70% – equal to a person driving around the world three times. The business has also introduced electric and hybrid cars into their fleet with a goal of having a full hybrid/electric fleet by 2025

This latest investment was led by CEO Stephen Acheson with support from the firm’s net zero carbon team which was set up with the aim of reducing the company’s carbon footprint, as part of an energy strategy developed with a commitment to producing low carbon products. 

The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Dungannon, Toome, Ballygawley and Carryduff, already has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum.  

Last year, the business also reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 10%, despite a 30% increase in production volumes as the company faced unprecedented demand for its products reinforcing its commitment to a greener future in construction.

Rodney Davidson, Commercial Director at AG said: “We are delighted to introduce this new packaging system into our Toome plant. At AG we are constantly working to reduce our carbon footprint and are committed to sustainable construction.”

CEO, Stephen Acheson added: “AG has a corporate social responsibility to be sustainable. We have adopted a long-term corporate philosophy that focuses on the wider message of lasting sustainable strategies and this new switch enables us to further reduce our carbon saving, lowering our carbon footprint even more.”

“Each of our sites bring our corporate environmental philosophy to life and we are delighted to be making very positive steps in our journey of carbon reduction”.