Sustainable roofing

ON ENVIRONMENT

Another aspect of our corporate responsibility that’s become imperative to articulate and implement is our response to climate change. We recognise climate change is possibly the most significant issue facing us all in the world today.

The consequences of climate change are being seen and heard with greater intensity throughout the world. We feel this keenly throughout our global operations.
Like every company today, we at Gerard Roofs are assessing the impact of our environmental footprint. While on the one hand we are attempting to protect you against the worst of environmental extremes, we are also assessing what we’re doing in production, transport and installation to reduce our own environmental footprint.

Take transport for example. The compact, lightweight nature of Gerard Rooftiles and their efficient method of packaging requires less transport requirements of the equivalent area of concrete or clay roof tiles. There are no breakages, and there is minimal wastage in transit or installation. And because our tiles are so much lighter than traditional material, it means less supporting structure is needed. This in turn means less materials and less labour.

Roof installation time is rapid, which means less trips to and from sites. So there are many opportunities around transport, delivery, and installation where Gerard Roofs tread far more lightly on our planet.

Steel is 100% recyclable and the world’s most recycled product. The steel industry has recycled steel for the last 150 years and currently the average recycling rate for
steel is 25%. Steel also generates minimal production, manufacturing, construction site and demolition waste. More than 90% of commercial steel construction waste is recycled, and the average recycled content of the steel produced by New Zealand Steel (NZS) is 10 to 15%.

NZS is the only steel manufacturer in the world to make steel from ironsand and there are vast inland ironsand deposits on New Zealand’s west coast of the North Island. All materials used in NZS’s manufacturing process are sourced locally in New Zealand. The end-to-end steel-making process is all conducted at their plant in Glenbrook, South of Auckland. It is 100% New Zealand made.



NZS has rigorous sustainability processes and practices in place. It has ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, has been judged best practice in energy efficiency by The Hatch Report, an international body, and been awarded a Ministry for the Environment Award for waste reduction. Steel resists the impact of earthquakes. Its maintenance requirements are low, and it can be designed to be thermally efficient. When sustainability is factored in, many of steels advantages achieve a multiplier effect.