Environmental Approach - RYE Demolition

Our Environmental Approach

We are proud to have been the first UK demolition organisation to be verified as Carbon Neutral. This is a significant corner stone of our environmental efforts, but they do not stop there.

We are continually looking at ways to reduce our overall environmental impact by scrutinising every part of the business, from the machinery and fuel we use, to the efficiency of our machine operators, methods of re-use and recycling and other innovations that come to the fore.

We are also heavily involved in influencing the industry to reduce its environmental impact through our involvement with the NFDC and other industry bodies.

We have been invited to talk at various industry events around the world to share our best practice and we are delighted to do so, because we have a moral obligation to protect the environment for future generations.

The Sustainable
Standard

We are among the industry leaders when it comes to reuse and recycling rates.

Typically we reuse or recycle around 98% of all waste produced on site with only contaminated waste and hazardous materials such as asbestos going to landfill.

The vast majority of masonry waste is processed and put back into the foundations of the next building on the sites that we are working on. We also separate all other waste at source, including metal and timber, sending it for reuse whenever possible and for recycling the rest of the time.

As part of reducing the release of embodied carbon we are always working with our clients to identify ways in which existing materials can be left in situ or kept on site for the next build so as to avoid unnecessary production of more materials.

At Rye Demolition we are regularly investing in new plant and machinery of the latest emission standards. Most of our plant now conforms to Euro V standards and we are gradually replacing our Euro IV machinery.

Alongside this we were the first UK demolition firm to make the commitment to HVO (Hydro-treated vegetable oil) to replace diesel. This fuel is made from used cooking oil and is a direct replacement for diesel, reducing emissions by around 90%. As it is made from used cooking oil there is also a much lower carbon footprint in its production when compared to fossil fuels based energy.

Alongside site plant and machinery, our fleet of company vehicles are also powered by HVO whenever possible.

Rye Group is proud to have been the first UK demolition contractor to be verified as carbon neutral.

Having conducted our first carbon audit in 2020/2021, we identified a roadmap to reduce our environmental impact and, in the following year had successfully eliminated 92% of our CO2E emissions.

The residual emissions were offset through verified carbon standard forest protection schemes in Colombia and Brazil.

We are committed to continuing our audit journey and reducing our carbon output wherever feasible.

The demolition industry is well placed to be able to make a sizeable impact on the climate reduction goals that are so desperately needed. Whilst we are pursuing our own journey of carbon reduction, we are also eager to work with the whole industry to reduce the combined footprint.

We have been invited to and share our lessons with our competitors, global federations and supply chain partners around the world and have happily done so. Our invitations have taken us to Vienna, Amsterdam and Toronto, amongst others to ensure the global industry can learn and combat this worldwide challenge in partnership.

Our desire to reduce our carbon footprint ties in directly with our Sustainable Standard philosophy; making a positive impact wherever we work.

By pursuing a carbon reduction programme, we will make a number of positive differences on the communities in which we work. This is seen through reduced air pollution, supporting local community projects and championing bio-diversity expansion.

It is not an easy journey to go on, but one that we are committed to pursuing alongside our partners, the wider industry and the communities in which we work.