Precast concrete product manufacturer SVC is committed to adopting sustainable practices across their business and minimising the impact of their activities on the environment.
Working towards the ultimate goal to achieve carbon neutrality across their entire business operations, SVC will continue to identify and implement opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions in addition to establishing partnerships with other like-minded businesses.
Achieving net-zero is an ambitious long-term goal that will not happen overnight. SVC has recently launched an inaugural Sustainability Charter, which outlines their objectives, priorities and the staged process that will eventually get them to their goal.
The first step towards carbon-zero
Since late 2021, SVC has begun using Holcim Australia‘s EcoPact Zero ready mix concrete to produce all standard stormwater pits in their Civil product range. This special concrete mix uses locally sourced Australian materials and is 100% carbon-neutral, meaning that the embodied carbon in the concrete component of SVC’s stock pits is 100% reduced.
EcoPact Zero has received Climate Active certification through the Australian Government, offering eligible carbon emission offsets through certified environmental projects.
What impact does this have on the pits?
Prior to the rollout of EcoPact Zero across all standard pit production, SVC conducted various trials and strength tests throughout the 28-day curing process to ensure that there were no negative effects on the performance and quality of pits made with the EcoPact mix. Fortunately, EcoPact Zero worked perfectly in SVC’s pit production processes, even resulting in pits that achieved a higher overall strength after 28 days compared to the previous concrete mix.
SVC has absorbed all costs associated with the adoption and usage of EcoPact Zero in their standard pit production, choosing not to increase pit pricing for their customers. This decision to switch to EcoPact Zero was based on the strong environmental benefits associated with this product, and in alignment with SVC’s vision of becoming Australia’s most environmentally sustainable precast concrete manufacturer.
With a production figure of approximately 8500 standard stormwater pits in a 12-month period, SVC is excited at the yearly CO2 savings to be gained by using carbon-neutral concrete. It translates to a significant reduction in SVC’s carbon footprint, and the company looks forward to introducing carbon-neutral concrete into more of their products in the near future.
