Ambition
Leverage opportunities to reduce waste and promote recycling in our operations, products, and supply chain.
Achievements
Product
We are keen to provide environmentally conscious options for customers at every stage in their tiling project. As such, we have introduced tiles, grouts, and adhesives with various sustainability focussed USPs: for example, Principle™ and Regenr8™, detailed below. We are particularly proud that, in FY23, the sales quantity of tiles with 50+ percent recycled content increased by 21.8%, year-on-year.
Case study
Principle™
In March 2023, we introduced the sustainable Principle™ wall tile range, made from a remarkable 91.3% recycled industrial waste—among the highest levels globally.
Developed with patented technology by UK startup Alusid, these tiles incorporate recycled materials like tile dust, production sludge, glass, and ceramics, saving 8kg of waste per square meter from landfill. Principle™ is manufactured on industry-standard mass production equipment, ensuring quality and cost efficiency. However, Alusid’s bespoke processes and raw material mixes allow for lower firing temperatures, meaning Principle™ uses 23% less gas during production than like-for-like conventional tiles.
Case Study
Regenr8™
A premium quality adhesive ideal for any tiling project, Regenr8™ is specifically developed for a reduced impact on the planet.
Sand, a key component of tile adhesive, is one of the world’s most exploited resources. It is being consumed faster than it can be naturally replenished, leading to erosion, flooding, and biodiversity loss.
In response, Regenr8™ has been formulated using an inhousedeveloped alternative to natural sand composed of post-consumer glass waste. In total, Regenr8™ contains up to 53% recycled material, meaning its manufacture requires substantially less natural sand than conventional alternatives.
Packaging
As signatories of the Plastics Pact UK, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our packaging. We made steady progress towards our Plastic Pact targets in FY23.
This was accomplished as part of our ongoing Environmental Packaging Initiative – a collaboration between our Sustainability, Buying, and Logistics teams to remove unnecessary packaging and improve the suitability of materials used. This minimises waste, will reduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) costs, and is highly visible to customers – promoting brand sustainability. Below, are some major achievements of the initiative, so far.
| Action | Projected annual impact | Learnings |
| Trims upstream transit packaging switched from plastic film to tissue paper | 3.6 tonnes plastic film eliminated | Paper is a widely recyclable and compostable alternative to plastic film for applications that don't demand high durability. |
| Trims downstream transit packaging switched from cardboard to 30% recycled LDPE | 25 tonne reduction in packaging weight | LDPE is as durable as cardboard but lighter, making it more resource efficient. It is recyclable when removed in-store – which it is, in this application. |
| DEX range inner and outer transit boxes consolidated | 2.8 tonnes cardboard eliminated | Cardboard is heavy and resource intensive. |
| DEX drill bits switched to reusable storage tubes | 0.4 tonnes single-use plastic & card eliminated | Reusable storage tubes are customer-friendly and minimise waste. |
We recognise the importance of engaging with customers to facilitate effective recycling. Accordingly, we’re members of the on-pack recycling label (OPRL) scheme, ensuring our own-brand packaging is labelled with clear disposal guidance.
Operations
