Reducing your Carbon Emissions when Working with Concrete

The concrete industry is responsible for approx. 8% of global C0₂ emissions, for this reason, the GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association) announced its roadmap to net zero carbon emissions as a response to growing pressure from international climate goals following the Paris Agreement. The MPA in the UK followed up with the publication of ‘Roadmap to beyond net zero’ to align with global targets by 2050.

With rising costs for both energy and materials, and new work infrastructure output forecast to grow by 18% (according to the BCIS), construction companies are scrambling to find an efficient, cost-effective way to reduce their carbon footprint.

Why are carbon emissions a problem?

• Climate change and global warming- Excessive C0₂ traps heat causing global temperatures to rise, causing extreme weather patterns.

  
  

• Melting ice and rising sea levels- The trapped heat causes glaciers and ice caps to melt causing rising sea levels that threaten coastal life.

  
  

• Acidic oceans- Oceans absorb excess C0₂ which causes pH to drop, harming marine life.

  
  

• Disruption of ecosystems- Rapidly changing climates disrupt the balance of ecosystems.

  
  

• Human health risks- Increased C0₂ contributes to air pollution, causing respiratory issues.

How can we help reduce your carbon footprint

The benefits of closed-loop concrete washout systems like Kelly Tanks CWS systems are countless, but in terms of reducing carbon emissions, there are three major benefits that vastly reduce a sites carbon footprint;

Recycling water

Producing and supplying clean water is energy intensive, and so it is detrimental to a sites carbon footprint to require or waste large volumes of water. Our concrete washout system is a closed-loop system which means that it only needs to be filled once then recycles the water used to wash-off and redistributes it for indefinite use. This allows for circular water use on construction sites.

Water being recycled allows it to be reused onsite for tasks like cleaning equipment, mixing new concrete, etc. However, this water should not be used for wheel washes or dust suppression. In addition to this, water from concrete washout shouldn’t be used within 10m of a watercourse or within 50m of protected sites (SSSI) and must be managed within a designated, impermeable, and secure area to keep in accordance with EA regulations.

Treating and containing the highly alkaline concrete wash water with a CWS concrete washout system greatly reduces the risk of contamination or pollution incidents. However, the best way to prevent damaging the environment and staying compliant is the CWS Ultra. The pH of the wash water is automatically treated using C02, it has a higher volume pump for optimum pressure to deal with residual concrete, and an increased capacity to deal with a higher volume of wash water.

Lower transport emissions

Concrete wash water is expensive and logistically challenging to transport and treat as it’s classed as hazardous waste. This, however, is not the only issue. Having excessive volumes of water to transport offsite for treatment involves increasing carbon emissions in line with the increasing wash water volume. By having a CWS onsite, you have an easy way to hugely reduce the volume of wash water as well as treating it onsite for compliant discharge.

Preventing environmental contamination

When contamination or pollution incidents take place, remediation processes often require significant energy, materials, and transportation. While the goal Is environmental clean-up, the methods used lead to high levels of carbon emissions, this is referred to as remediation carbon footprint.

Treating and containing the highly alkaline concrete wash water with a CWS concrete washout system greatly reduces the risk of contamination or pollution incidents. However, the best way to prevent damaging the environment and staying compliant is the CWS Ultra. The pH of the wash water is automatically treated using C02, it has a higher volume pump for optimum pressure to deal with residual concrete, and an increased capacity to deal with a higher volume of wash water.

Still not convinced?

If you have any questions regarding our solutions to concrete washout or how we could make your site more sustainable and compliant, the UK Concrete Show is the perfect opportunity to see for yourself. We have continued our sponsorship of this expo and will be showcasing our range of concrete washout solutions.

From cost effective sack frames that require no power, to adjustable skip frames for washing out concrete skips, we not only offer the largest fleet of concrete washouts in the UK, but the most diverse, including bespoke builds, ensuring we have a solution to perfectly fit your sites needs.

UKCS is held at the NEC later this month on March 25th and March 26th and you can register for free via the link below:

 The UK Concrete Show 2026 | Welcome

We hope to see you there, but if you have any questions or enquiries in the meantime, please get in touch today to see how we can help.