ALCAS member Fibercon won the award for Sustainability and Environment at the recent Concrete Awards in Queensland. The award was given for their Emesh 100% Recycled Macro Poly used for concrete reinforcing.
Fibercon has a devotion to sustainability and is a strong proponent of Life Cycle Assessment as a credible way of measuring environmental impacts. “LCA is a rigorous and replicable system that is recognised worldwide,” said Fibercon CEO Mark Combe. “Tony Collister and I were getting sick and tired of what we saw as “Green Wash Solutions” offered by others. For Emesh to be judged on its merits we wanted a system that would recognise the full range of reductions offered.”
To ensure the quality and credibility of the environmental data, Fibercon published an independently audited Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). “The EPD was what we saw as a requirement, again because it was rigorous,” said Combe. “The harsh light of third party audit meant that we were being serious about what we wanted to do.”
As well as earning a gong at the Queensland Concrete awards, Emesh was also given a Highly Commended at the National Concrete Awards. Combe says, “The award is a nod from our industry peers. It not only recognises that Emesh is a timely and sustainable idea, but one who's application and advantage is recognised by the industry. Fibercon Emesh is one of the very few applications where there is not a Green Cost Penalty. This is why Councils and Infrastructure Developments are adopting the product.”