Sustainability
Our people are very proud of our position within the concrete industry and over the years we have done a lot to improve people’s perception of concrete and its impact on the environment. That’s why all of our sites, from quarries to production facilities, are tidy, clean, presentable and are operated with a concern and awareness for their surrounding landscape and communities.
From the more obvious effects of our quarries on the surrounding landscape, to the noise, dust or waste that’s generated from any one of our industrial production facilities, it remains a key part of our business to minimise the impact of our operations on the world around us and to manage our resources effectively.
Biodiversity
Working with a number of environmental agencies, we have been able to develop biodiversity management schemes for each of our quarries. This also involves transforming our disused quarries into protected natural habitats where wildlife has the opportunity to thrive.
A&G undertook a unique project to stop a globally threatened species of crayfish disappearing from the Ballinderry River.
White-clawed crayfish that have been introduced to a lake in A&G’s sandpit near Pomeroy have been breeding successfully and are even finding new homes in the company’s home building bricks.
In partnership with the Ballinderry River Enhancement Association (BREA), A&G created the award winning ark site, the first of its kind in Ireland, as part of its commitment to sustainability.
Carbon Footprint
A&G have calculated the carbon footprint of every product in our range. All of these figures have been carefully checked and verified.
We are committed to keeping these figures as low as possible. For instance, while other manufacturers continue to produce paving and flagstones with carbon footprints of more than 45kg of CO2 per m², all the paving and flagstones in A&G’s range now have a footprint of between 14 and 20kg.
One of the reasons why our carbon footprints are so low is that all our products are manufactured within the British Isles. What’s more, the vast majority of the stone we use is produced in our own quarries just a short distance from our manufacturing plants.
Transportation has a big impact on carbon emissions so by using local stone, we can keep our footprint as small as possible.
We import a small amount of stone – but only from other countries within the EU. This means that our customers can be 100% certain that none of our products is in any way associated with child labour or the exploitation of low paid workers in developing countries such as India where regulations on safety, pay and conditions are difficult to police and often ignored.
With a range of great products that won’t cost the Earth or exploit workers in developing nations, A&G aims to improve your environment without damaging the environment.