Ross Finnie, Sales Director at SIG Design and Technology, discusses how one of the company’s key partners, IKO, is greening its flat roofing products and manufacturing processes with Architecture Today’s Technical Editor John Ramshaw.

IKO’s Appley Bridge plant in Lancashire diverts 98 per cent of its waste from landfill into refuse derived fuel (RDF)

SIG Design and Technology is one of the UK’s leading designers and suppliers of quality flat and metal roofing solutions. Its product-agnostic approach is central to its success, ensuring that specifiers are always provided with the best possible solution for their projects – rather than the ‘closest fit’ from a limited selection of available products and systems. In order to do this, SIG partners with some of the best roofing manufacturers in the business, including IKO, BMI, KME and VMZINC.

While product quality, durability and cost effectiveness are prerequisites for SIG’s manufacturing partners, the company also places significant importance on environmental performance. One manufacturer who is excelling in this area is single ply membrane, mastic asphalt, BUR felts and hot melt roofing specialist IKO. The company recently published its in-depth 2022 sustainability report, entitled ‘I can make today better’. Ross Finnie, Sales Director at SIG Design and Technology, discusses the findings of the report and the manufacturer’s future environmental plans, with Architecture Today’s Technical Editor John Ramshaw.

IKO has contributed to borehole and cook stove projects in Uganda and Kenya respectively as part of its carbon offset strategy

What is IKO’s overall approach to carbon reduction?
Alongside purchasing raw materials locally and manufacturing locally, IKO has been successfully reducing its environmental footprint with investment in research and development, production, training, and logistics, as well as carbon offset programs. The company reports annually in line with Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) legislation.

Can you tell me about the carbon offset programs?
For the last 13 years IKO has been offsetting carbon for all its mastic asphalt projects through the use of internationally approved carbon credits. It has now extended this scheme to all its UK-made waterproofing products. Since 2008, the UK-based manufacturer has worked with CO2 Balance (a carbon management company that runs carbon-saving projects in Africa) and contributed to cook stove and borehole projects in Kenya and Uganda respectively. To give you some idea of the figures involved, IKO offset 8,892 tonnes of CO2 last year, and has offset more than 18,000 tonnes from 2015 to 2021 – the equivalent of nearly 11,000 return flights from London to New York.

IKO’s Grangemill plant in Derbyshire has a designated Material Recycling Facility

What is IKO doing to reduce its carbon footprint in terms of manufacturing, business operations, and products?
The company employs a multifaceted approach, which includes using renewable energy and adopting a zero waste to landfill policy. Where possible, IKO sources local raw materials with an average of 263 miles incurred in converting them into finished waterproofing products via its British-based manufacturing facilities. Overall, 80 per cent of the company’s supply chain is within the UK, and all of its British-made waterproofing products are carbon neutral. Further transport-related carbon savings have been made by investing in a hybrid car fleet for company employees.

What environmental accreditations does the company currently hold?
The main ones comprise BES 6001 (responsible sourcing of construction products), BES 14001 (environmental management), BES 9001 (quality management), and BES 45001 (occupational health).

What about EPDs?
IKO now has EPD’s for its Enertherm ALU PIR insulation products and the Flexia liquid waterproofing range, with other products to follow in the next 12 months.

IKO’s Clay Cross plant in Derbyshire re-granulates and reuses PVC seconds as part of the manufacturing process

Does IKO currently integrate any recycled content into its product ranges?
Yes. It’s 10-20 per cent for Polymeric (single ply roofing), 40-50 per cent for Permatec (hot melt roofing), and 99 per cent for IKOslate (composite roof tiles). The latter is made up almost entirely of recycled car parts. Elsewhere, 90 per cent recycled material from IKO single ply goes into its Hyload DPC product. The company’s Clay Cross plant in Derbyshire re-granulates and reuses PVC seconds as part of the manufacturing process.

What about waste?
IKO is continuing to strive for zero waste to landfill at all of its sites, with Appley Bridge in Lancashire achieving around 98 per cent waste diverted from landfill into refuse derived fuel (RDF). The Grangemill plant in Derbyshire recycles and reuses waste through its Material Recycling Facility, with a small percentage then sent to a waste energy plant – ultimately recycling 100 per cent. In general, IKO is constantly exploring other outlets for its seconded products and manufacturing waste.

Can you tell me what IKO’s medium and long term environmental goals are?
The manufacturer’s medium term aims for 2025 include 20 per cent energy reduction, 50 per cent carbon offsetting for manufacturing sites and products, external audits to ISO 14001, the introduction of a water reduction/re-use scheme, research into alternatives to raw materials, and 50 per cent of company vehicles to use alternative fuels.

Looking further ahead to 2030, IKO’s goals include a carbon footprint and offset scheme for all of its manufacturing sites and products, five per cent year-on-year energy reduction, certification to ISO 50001, ESOS compliance with all actions completed, use of renewable energy sources, and all company vehicles to be alternatively fuelled.

Contact Details
For more information, please visit the SIG Design and Technology website.