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Sustainability

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Our Sustainability Statement

Being Green at Zaun isn’t about Green Washing to look good. We take an active position to improve our carbon reduction and sustainability through schemes and initiatives that make a real difference to our production, products, staff, and the wider environment.

We are aligned with the WMCA 2041 Plan in that we are clear we need to take action to limit the impact of climate change and prepare for the changes we cannot prevent.  We have set a target of being carbon-neutral by 2041.

Electirc Forklift Trucks at Zaun to decarbonise transport

Decarbonising our Transport

Transport across a business can have a major impact on energy-related  CO2. The International Transport Forum (ITF) states that transport emits around 23% of the energy-related carbon dioxide that feeds global warming. Decarbonising transport is vital if net zero targets are to be met.

At Zaun, we are working hard on schemes and initiatives that will decarbonise our transport. These include:

  • A switch to Electric Fork Lifts across all manufacturing and logistics sites. This equates to a saving of specific emissions of over 10g CO2eq per tonne moved for every electric forklift truck in operation at Zaun.
  • Employee EV Scheme and all EV Fleet of company cars. Research by the European Energy Agency found that, even with electricity generation, the carbon emissions of an electric car are around 17 – 30% lower than driving a petrol or diesel car.
  • Full Fleet of Euro 6 Trucks an 81.7% reduction in g/km of CO since 1993
  • EV Electric Chargers for Staff and Visitors

Harnessing Renewable Energy

As the global energy markets shift and the pressures on energy security are ever-present with changing political landscapes, the adoption of renewable energy needs to form a part of our sustainability statement.

In 2023, Zaun invested over £250,000 in building a 330kw solar array, constructed from 500 new solar panels; that has created peak net energy-positive production from renewable energy sources for our in-house mesh machines.

This is alongside the following initiatives to reduce our energy dependencies:

  • Investment in a new factory heating system to radiant heating to reduce gas consumption
  • Investment in low-energy lighting throughout the factories
  • Shift from hydraulic to electric punches to reduce energy use and improve efficiency.
Zaun Renewable Energy Solar Panels
Reducing Embodied Carbon through in-house manufacturing

Reducing Embodied Carbon

Embodied carbon represents the millions of tons of carbon emissions released during the lifecycle of building materials, including extraction, manufacturing, transport, construction, and disposal.

As the only British in-house manufacturer of Rigid and Woven Mesh Fencing Systems, Zaun is able to demonstrate a reduction in embodied carbon for each of its products.

  • Reduction via processing of Steel Wire into Fencing Panels at our own factory and so removing multiple transport stages out of the manufacturing process.
  • Use of renewable energy in the manufacturing of our fencing panels
  • Use of recycled steel in the creation of steel wire and flats reducing CO2 emisions by 58%. Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1.4 tonnes of iron ore, 0.8 tonnes of coal, 0.3 tonnes of limestone and additives, and 1.67 tonnes of CO2.

Whole Life and End of Life

Creating products requires a view to the whole life costs and what happens to the product at the end of its life. The average design life of a Zaun fencing system manufactured from Galvanised Class D wire is 15 – 20 years depending on its location and environment. For Class A wire using GALZAL ZN95AL5 the average design life is 45 years and 90 years for GALZAL ZN90AL10. This can be extended by powder coating the fencing system.

At the end of its life, all aspects of the fencing system can be 100% recycled via local initiatives.

  • LDPE Post Caps – 100% Recyclable
  • Steel Post – 100% Recyclable
  • Steel Fence Panel – 100% Recyclable
  • Clamp Bars and/or Clips – 100% Recyclable
  • Fixings – 100% Recyclable
Whole Life of Fence from Class D and Class A Wire
Reducing Waste

Reducing our Waste

Reducing our waste from the manufacturing process has a direct reduction on the impact we have on the planet. Through waste diversion and recycling we are able to demonstrate how we are conserving energy, reducing disposal costs, and reducing the burden on landfills and other waste disposal methods.

  • 97% of all factory waste diverted from Landfill
  • 100% of all scrap metal is recycled and put back into the manufacturing sector
  • Standardisation of fixings and parts to reduce waste
  • Education of staff on their impact on the environment

Planning for our Future

We continue to seek ways, processes and means of improving our sustainability so we can plan for the future. As the impact of climate change becomes more prevalent additional legislation may be required, which Zaun is committed to achieving as and when.

We are already looking towards the future with schemes such as PAS 2060 and ISO 14001 to monitor our impact on the planet. Likewise we are exploring changing technologies such as Hydrogen-Powered Trucks for our transportation function.

At Zaun we are committed to doing all we can to save the planet, this is our sustainability statement to you; our customers, clients and team.

Future Sustainability
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