January 2024

GOLD AWARD FOR FREEFOAM
Freefoam Building Products has been
awarded Gold status by the Supply Chain
Sustainability School (SCSS).
SCSS Gold status recognises Freefoam’s
commitment to building sustainability and ESG
skills and knowledge. The Supply Chain
Sustainability School is a free online platform that
provides training and learning content aiming to
‘inspire and enable’ the built environment sector
to implement positive change. Topics can range
from Energy and Carbon reduction, Waste and
Resource Efficiency, Sustainable Procurement,
and Social Value.
Kevin Cronin, Chief Operating Officer at Freefoam,
and part of its dedicated Sustainability team,
explained: “This membership level shows that
we’ve demonstrated a significant increase in
sustainability competence, and actively shared
knowledge and experience with team
members, our supply chain, and the
wider public.”
Members of the school are required
to complete an initial assessment,
where their knowledge is
benchmarked, and areas for
improvement are identified. Members then
receive customised learning resources to bridge
any knowledge gaps.
“A big part of our journey to Building a
Sustainable Future for our business includes
training for our teams,” commented Colin St John,
Freefoam’s Commercial Director. “It’s not just
manufacturers like Freefoam who are benefiting –
but also other stakeholders within the
construction value chain such as builders’
merchants and product end users.”
Freefoam’s
Gold level
membership comes just a few months after
achieving Silver, demonstrating their investment
in Building a Sustainable Future for their
business.
Learn more about Freefoam’s sustainability
initiatives and read case studies at
freefoam.com/professional/sustainabilityarchive.
KEBONY DELIVERS FOR ECO SITE
Situated in rural Oxfordshire on the
outskirts of Southmoor, Greencore
Construction has provided an innovative
solution to the ongoing climate crisis –
sustainable housing which comes at no
expense to the environment. Spread
generously across an eight-acre plot,
Springfield Meadows consists of 25 custom
build homes, all of which are eco-friendly
in nature, with several making use of
sustainably sourced Kebony wood.
Designed with a focus on environmentally
conscious construction, Springfield Meadows
has received widespread recognition as the
most sustainable development in the country,
demonstrating a firm commitment to lowimpact
living with a focus on net-zero energy
usage.
Created to benefit both the environment and
the community, nine of the homes are affordable
in nature, making green living both an accessible
and a sustainable option for residents. The highperformance
homes provide comfortable, low
carbon living as a result of the Biond system
selected by Greencore Construction. The homes
are Climate Positive, locking up more carbon than
emitted and generating more energy than is used.
PV panels are also installed on the roofs of the
houses, all of which are built to international
Passivhaus standard, resulting in energy efficient
builds which come complete with a sleek and
stylish appearance.
By selecting Kebony Character for the exterior
cladding of several of the homes, Greencore
Construction recognises the benefit of using
sustainably certified materials. A global leader in
the production of environmentally friendly wood,
Kebony’s pioneering dual modification technology
sees sustainably sourced softwoods heated with
a bio-based liquid, transforming it to maintain
the same durable properties of industrial
hardwoods minus the same contribution to the
carbon footprint. Kebony wood is both costeffective
and visually attractive, retaining a
natural aesthetic which is in keeping with the
rural location and surrounding wildlife.
www.kebony.com
JANUARY 2024 TC 37