Sustainability

Sustainability Statement

As an established limestone and sandstone quarry company with almost 70 years in the industry, we are aware of the impact that this extraction has on the surrounding environment. It is our mission to minimise this impact and introduce alternative solutions to working with the biodiversity and surrounding environment that is affected. We have several policies in place to ensure we have as little an impact on the natural world as possible.

Customer expectations are changing because of an increased focus on sustainability. Recycling and circular economy solutions can play a role towards improving quarry resource utilisation.

Sustainability has no specific definition, but regarding quarrying activity, it is best described by the UN as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Harrington concrete & Quarries has a commitment to

REDUCE the amount of extraction in
management with the demand for products.

REUSE materials for restoration
and remediation works.

RECYCLE concrete and C&D material to lower specified aggregate materials

RESTORE lands as they become depleted to provide
a more diverse habitat than was there before.

The concept of a circular economy is simply the recycling of inert excavated waste like building site rubble, greenfield excavated material and road improvement works.

The main characteristic of this process is that it is neutral in nature. This means that they have no impact on the surrounding environment because of the following reasons:

They are not biodegradable.
They do not decompose.
They do not produce any physical or chemical reaction.
They do not have any pollution risk.
They do not damage the other materials which they encounter.

Harrington Concrete & Quarries are proactive in our approach
to the surrounding environment.

Biodiversity

Restoration

Environmental Monitoring

Biodiversity

Wildlife are incredibly adaptable to their surrounding environments, even going so far as utilising man made features and landscapes that become available to them. Below we have a selection of plants and animals that call our quarries home, which are a prime example of this. Some of these species may not have the opportunity to thrive were it not for the introduction of quarrying activity in these areas.

The rich variety of nature

Along with these species we also have much more wildlife that visit our sites such as seagulls, cranes, badgers etc which all take advantage of the manmade freshwater ponds and lagoons. A variety of plant species can be seen during the different seasons providing the necessary sustainability of the local flora and fauna.

Restoration

Harrington Concrete & Quarries undertake restoration projects both yearly and on an ongoing basis. Restoration can be in many forms such as Native Planting, Natural Regeneration,(this allows areas to naturally develop with plant species influenced by the immediate surrounding habitat and wildlife), Natural Flooding, (allows for freshwater species to thrive), Agricultural renewal (restoring to what it once was).

Most restoration occurs over a long period of time and in some cases, it is an ongoing activity, where areas are constantly been added to. Some areas of restoration are designed to be restored once the quarry is worked out. This type of restoration is most suitable for flooding and will provide an immense habitation value to the surrounding environment by the introduction of plant & animal species that would not necessarily have had the opportunity to survive in the area previously.

Environmental Monitoring

Environmental Monitoring is a fundamental part of quarrying activity. Not only is it mandatory it is necessary to the evaluation of impact on human lives and the surrounding environment.Our company carry out many monitoring tasks such as noise monitoring, dust monitoring, water monitoring and much more. Most of the monitoring is carried out in accordance with national & European regulations and supervised by the local authorities and other various environmental bodies such as the EPA.

Monitoring is carried out on an ongoing basis. We have many policies and procedures in place for the different activities carried out in the day to day running of a quarry. Internal auditing is a vital undertaking to measure the performance of quarry sites and quickly identifies any potential issues so preventative and remedial work can be undertaken immediately. External audits are carried out by the local authority and environmental bodies.

Sustainability Statement

Harrington concrete & Quarries has a commitment to

REDUCE the amount of extraction in
management with the demand for products.

REUSE materials for restoration
and remediation works.

RECYCLE concrete and C&D material to lower specified aggregate materials

RESTORE lands as they become depleted to provide
a more diverse habitat than was there before.