Led by the WJ Group, the Product Carbon Footprint Model
is a quick, efficient, and reliable means of assessing and reducing
carbon on its products.
The new assessment model allows the WJ Group, a specialist road
marking business that delivers across Highways England’s network
of motorways and major A-roads, to measure:
- the embedded carbon in each ingredient of their road markings
- production energy consumption
- how carbon needed for the manufacture of road safety markings
can be reduced.
The significant project allowed the company to reduce its product
carbon footprint by 81 per cent in CO2 emissions and create a
more durable road marking that requires less repairs, reducing
the need for carbon even more.
Similarly, the project has allowed for a huge 90 per cent
reduction in landfill waste via screening and recycling of
aggregates contained within the sweepings captured during road
marking removal operations.
Dean Kerwick-Chrisp, Highways England Principal Environmental
Advisor, said:
How our roads and works impact the environment and communities
is really important and this is just one example of how we
challenge the supply chain to reduce our impact on the
environment.
This project shows how much can be achieved when companies
strive to be better.
The WJ Group have provided a comprehensive response to
sustainability and embedded positive behaviour into their
processes and workforce, which we were delighted to see.
Along with their carbon reduction, they also have extensive
training for staff, including leadership training, that is
helping to shape their outlook on the environment and take
positive steps forward.
With 217 road marking vehicles and more than 500 staff, WJ Group
install in excess of 14.5 million metres of road markings every
year for Highways England, meaning their Product Carbon Foot
Print Model can lead to huge reductions of C02, with hope the
industry will follow suit.
The Product Carbon Footprint Model netted WJ Group a
Sustainabillity award in the third Highways England Awards
earlier this year.
Paul Aldridge, WJ Group Sustainability Director, said:
We are absolutely delighted to receive this award and
encouraged by this level of recognition for our work.
Embedding sustainability into WJ is fundamental to us. We all
chose our actions and they have consequences, so it’s important
that those choices should have a positive environmental, social
and economic impact.
WJ Group also collected a Safety Innovation award for their
robotic premarking initiative.
These projects were among 30 winning initiatives, from within
Highways England as well as its supply chain partners,
recognising activities which further the company’s imperatives of
safety, customer service and delivery. This year the award
ceremony was held online.
