Putting the Green Back in Recycling for Heidelberg Materials

The Company:

Heidelberg Materials, formerly known as Hanson, is a global leader in building materials, specialising in cement, aggregates and ready-mixed concrete. Michelle Mills, Production Manager for their asphalt plant in Ardingly, Haywards Heath, oversees operations that serve local infrastructure, providing asphalt, cement and utilising quarries and rail lines for stone and aggregate. The company is committed to sustainable practices, including the use of recycled materials in their products.

The Challenge:

Heidelberg Materials faced a significant challenge in consistently incorporating recycled asphalt product (RAP) into their asphalt mixes. The main issue was keeping the RAP dry. Without effective protection from the elements, the RAP would absorb moisture, slowing the drying process and limiting the amount of recycled material they could incorporate into their final products. This not only impacted their sustainability goals but also affected efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The Zappshelter Solution:

To address this, Heidelberg Materials invested in a Zappshelter for their Ardingly site in Haywards Heath. This bespoke solution was designed to meet their specific needs, featuring a custom green fabric cover that blends seamlessly into the surrounding rural landscape. The Zappshelter was mounted on precast concrete ‘lego-style’ block walls, providing a robust and efficient storage bay for their recycled asphalt product.

The Zappshelter solution offered Heidelberg Materials:

• Reliable protection for RAP from the elements, ensuring it remains dry.
• Elimination of the need for energy-intensive drying processes for the RAP.
• A custom-designed structure that perfectly complements the site’s environment.
• A straightforward and supportive process from initial contact through to installation.

The Result:

The Zappshelter has proved to be a valuable asset for Heidelberg Materials, significantly enhancing their operational efficiency and sustainability efforts. By keeping the RAP dry, the company has been able to increase the amount of recycled material going into their asphalt products, leading to substantial cost and time savings. This improved process allows more material to be processed through the site, a huge win for the client!

Michelle Mills, Production Manager at Heidelberg Materials, remarked on the success:

“The process from Zappshelter, from start to finish, was very easy… The guys on-site, they were absolutely fantastic – very helpful… Customer service that I’ve found from Zappshelter has been fantastic. Very approachable, and always there on the phone when needed. It’s helped us increase the RAP going into our products – very good.”

Overall, the Zappshelter has provided a practical, safe, and efficient solution, enabling Heidelberg Materials to achieve both their production targets and their environmental goals. So much so, that they are looking to acquire another Zappshelter to further increase their drying capacity!

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