UK: All aircrete manufactured in Great Britain by Aircrete Product Association (APA) members is now certified to BES6001:2008 Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products.

This means, unlike many other building materials where the standards depend on the individual company that is supplying the products, specifiers and builders using aircrete can be re-assured that it will be responsibly sourced, irrespective of which supplier’s aircrete is used.

All of the products certified achieved the three star “very good” level which translates into the maximum three credits available (the highest tier) in the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSfH).

The requirements of BES 6001 require companies to demonstrate, from origin to use:

  • Effective Quality, environmental and health and safety management systems
  • Efficient use of energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Sustainable and efficient use of material resources and water
  • Ethical business practices and compliance with applicable laws and regulations
  • Responsible site stewardship in relation to avoiding pollution and protecting the environment
  • Minimising the impact of transport associated with the delivery of the constituent materials used in manufacture, waste disposal and the delivery of products to our customers
  • Liaising with the local community of matters of mutual interest

Mark Oliver, chairman of the APA says: “We were very keen to be the first industry to achieve this standard on a national basis. It is positive for the aircrete industry as a whole that our members are leading the building products industry and place the environment at the forefront of their values and objectives.”

By offering BES 6001 across an entire product range, and not just by supplier or by site, customers get the consistency and assurance of knowing the precise input aircrete can make to their overall rating on schemes like BREEAM and CfSH, irrespective of where they buy it or which brand they buy.