How We Consider the Environment When Creating Our Products
Considering the Environmental Impact of Our Product Lifecycle:
At Ritherdon we are always looking to further improve upon our services from our production line to our admin.
One of our most important elements of our business is making sure our environmental impact remains low when designing and manufacturing our products.
Because of this we have incorporated different elements into our production process to ensure that we keep any environmental impact to a minimum.
Use of Sustainable Recycled Materials:
90% of the 4003 (1.4003/3CR12) grade stainless steel and 95% of the 304 & 316 (1.4301 & 1.4401) grades stainless steel used in our products are recycled material.
This reduces the need to extract new raw materials which can produce a major environmental impact.
The stainless steel we use is itself 100% recyclable, unlike other commonly used materials such as GRP which must be disposed to landfill.
Efficient Manufacturing Processes:
We are always looking for innovative ways to reduce waste and our carbon emissions related to energy consumption.
In December 2022 we invested in new powder coating equipment which operates at a greater energy efficiency than our previous equipment, whilst simultaneously recycling a much larger amount of over-sprayed powder, reducing the amount that must be disposed of.
Design for Durability:
All of our stainless steel metalwork is guaranteed for 25 years and is designed to be resistant against corrosion, vandalism and adverse environmental conditions.
This reduces the need to replace enclosures prematurely, which leads to increased waste and environmental impact.
Easy to Disassemble and Recycle:
This facilitates the separation and recovery of materials at the end of the enclosure’s life cycle, reducing waste and conserving resources.
See the “End of Life Disposal” guidelines at the end of this document for more information.
Hazardous Materials:
We minimise our use of hazardous materials identified by the RoHS Directive 2012 by introducing a limit on the amounts present in the electrical equipment we source.
This includes heavy metals such as lead and mercury which can pose a risk to human health and the environment.
No hazardous materials are used in our paint coatings.
End of Life Disposal:
All materials shall be disposed of in accordance with the relevant EWC numbers stated below, and all applicable regulations regarding waste disposal.
No items require incineration and all electrical items should be disposed of within the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) guidelines.
We have made available our Environmental Impact Statement (EOL Disposal) that details how to recycle the materials that make up our enclosures. For any further guidance on disposing of your enclosure please get in touch.
