‘We all have a responsibility to do something’ – Freefoam stockist

Family-run firm C & A Building Products, a Freefoam stockist for almost 20 years, has installed solar panels on its warehouse in the next step to improve its green credentials.

The firm is an independent supplier of plastic building materials and has been operating for 55 years nationwide. 

In March last year, C & A Building Products used a local firm to install an 84 solar panel, 35-kilowatt system with 24-kilowatt battery storage on one of its warehouses at its Gillingham depot. Since installation, C & A Building Products has been 80% self-sufficient in energy, even reaching 100% on some days. 

‘Responsibility for the environment’

Darren Beaumont, Director at C & A Building Products, the driving force behind the scheme, comments: “Solar energy was something we have always considered. Everyone has to take some responsibility for the environment and as a business we should take our own fair share.

“There are so many ways that you can reduce energy consumption such as installing LED lightbulbs and recycling, if you can’t invest in something like solar panels. I think it’s something that everyone should consider on some level.

“The solar energy we produce first charges our requirement, secondly charges the battery, and once the batteries are full, anything left gets automatically exported back to the grid. Last year, we exported around 30% of our energy. The system will also use the energy in the battery before it takes any from the grid, which is great.

“It will take us less than five years to make back our investment in solar energy. We have seen how successful the installation has been for us and have decided to expand it. We are going to install 40 additional solar panels to our second, smaller warehouse this spring.”

Green credentials

Just as working with suppliers and partners who are considering their green credentials is important to C & A Building Products, it is equally as important to Freefoam.

Freefoam is building momentum on its own sustainability journey. It is transitioning from a linear to a circular economy with a range of projects and initiatives across all areas of the business, from recycling and rainwater harvesting to introducing a closed loop production process. In the UK, 100% of the electricity Freefoam uses comes from solar energy.

Colin St John, Commercial Director at Freefoam, says: “To achieve carbon reduction on every level of the supply chain, it is so important that everyone does their bit. C & A Building Products is doing just that and Freefoam is delighted to be able to work with businesses who are taking sustainability seriously.

“In addition to our existing initiatives, we are rolling out further projects in the coming months in our own manufacturing processes and with customers. We would love to hear from any of our customers who are considering their sustainability journey and planning their own green initiatives.”

More information

Learn more about Freefoam’s products, service and support by visiting www.freefoam.com or calling 0800 002 9903. Follow @freefoam on  Twitter. Check out Freefoam’s sustainability initiatives via the link.

To learn more about C & A Building Products, visit www.cabp.co.uk.

Contact:

Freefoam Building Products,
77-83 St James Mill Road,
Northampton,
NN5 5JP
United Kingdom

Tel: 01604 591110

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