Sustainability has established itself as a global cross-industry topic, with sustainable construction becoming a particularly crucial component within the UK’s property sector.
As the country’s leading independent designers and suppliers of guaranteed waterproofing systems, sustainability is something that’s always been paramount to Newton Waterproofing.
A system that works
In 2017, Newton launched the Newton Recycling Service, the first closed-loop recycling scheme in the UK waterproofing industry.
The Newton Recycling Service runs in collaboration with its Newton Specialist Basement Contractors (NSBCs), in order to actively collect and recycle off-cuts of HDPE waterproofing membrane, as well as the plastic tubs and metal containers that hold its liquid waterproofing products from across the UK, for re-use in the construction industry.
It all starts back at the Newton hub, in the warehouse. Newton waterproofs products such as HDPE cavity drain membranes and PVC drainage systems, before sending them out with its couriers to be delivered to its specialist contractors across the UK. Finally, they are installed, and all of the off-cuts and waste are collected into dedicated Newton bulk bags.
All of the Newton recycling bags are provided for free and are reused after each trip, and to avoid extra journeys and additional emissions, Newton collects the full bags of recycling while making deliveries of new products to specialist contractors, returning them to its head office on the return trip.
Thanks to an investment in an industrial granulator, plastics are processed in-house according to the type of material and stored in Newton’s warehouse, in bulk bags. Once a large quantity of processed material has been accumulated, the bulk bags are collected by one of the UK’s largest plastic recyclers. The recycled material is then transformed into new raw materials, ready for the next stage in its lifecycle.
According to Newton’s fifth annual Sustainability Report, the company recycled 2.608 tonnes of membrane in 2021 by collecting 126 bags of waste membrane offcuts and used containers. This avoided the production of 2.99 tonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent to over 11,712 kilowatt hours of energy, which is enough energy to make 416,453 mugs of tea.
Newton Waterproofing’s Managing Director, Warren Muschialli, comments:
“Our recycling service has generated numerous positive results since 2017, the main one being that our contractors are now more aware of their waste and are therefore being more efficient with their materials – in turn, saving them money while also improving their environmental credentials.”
The extra mile
Surfers Against Sewage is a marine conservation charity that inspires, unites, and empowers communities to take action to protect the oceans by preventing pollution from throwaway plastics and sewage. As a member of the Surfers Against Sewage ‘Ocean Network’, Newton is part of a powerful movement of like-minded corporate sponsors.
World Cleanup Day is one of the biggest global-civic movements of our time, and as a big advocate in taking action to reduce plastic waste and improve the environment, Newton Waterproofing joined 180 countries across the globe to help save our planet last year, by hosting its own litter picking event. The team collected over 25 bags of rubbish from around Tonbridge, further helping to raise awareness around the importance of sustainability.
Warren continues:
“With several innovative sustainability initiatives, we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment wherever possible.
“This year, we aim to develop our sustainability targets through higher engagement with more contractors and the expansion of our recycling network.
“We are committed to improving the UK’s green agenda and providing sustainable construction by helping combat the industry’s waste problems. All customers should feel confident when working with Newton, assured that they are using a socially responsible company with sustainability at the top of its agenda.”
For more information on Newton Waterproofing and the Newton Recycling Service, call 01732 360 095 or email info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)newtonwaterproofing.co.uk.