Environmental responsibility is taken very seriously at Littlehampton Bricks and Pavers (LHB).

As a 100% Australian Family-owned company making 100% Australian Made products, the company believes they have to do everything to make the best bricks and pavers and do so in a way that is kind to the environment. For over 120 years, producing clay bricks and pavers from exceptional local natural clays and minerals, LHB is always looking for new and innovative ways to improve its products and processes. LHB is well renowned for making unique looking products of high quality. We also invest a lot of time and money into research and development to make the products as eco-friendly as possible.

This article will take a look at some of the ways Littlehampton Bricks and Pavers make eco-friendly bricks and are reducing their carbon footprint.

Locally sourced + Locally made = Lower Carbon Footprint.

Imported products leave large carbon footprints once they travel thousands of kilometres to get to our Australian market.

That’s why 100% of the bricks sold by Littlehampton Bricks are produced in Australia, using only the best clay and minerals available locally.

Hand-graded for quality and to minimize Carbon Footprint

While the allowance for waste in the industry is up to 10%, this rate can be as little as 1% with Littlehampton products due to the strict hand-graded quality control measures.

What does that mean to my project and the environment?

This means that LHB clients are not paying for a product they cannot use, but this also means there is no waste of CO2 to transport a product that is not good for use. No waste in dumping hundreds of unused bricks and no paying extra for double handling a condemned product. Littlehampton Brick takes the labour intensive extra step to hand-sort every brick and paver from the kiln onto tough wooden pallets for delivery. Quality control graders check the products for any defects that may make the brick or paver unusable. If any of these defects are present, they are sorted onto separate pallets and not delivered to a building site as a Ist-grade product. Once the orders are in and the pallets are ready to go to the site, they are wrapped by automatic machines that save up to 50% in the shrinking wrap. This process is essential to ensure the products’ integrity and protects others from potential falling debris during transportation. Overall, this process does not only ensures premium quality for your projects, but also minimizes waste and lowers the overall carbon footprint associated with LHB products.

A product made to last for hundreds of years

The life cycle of Littlehampton Brick I is one of the longest in any building material. While cheap bricks and many other materials last for only a couple of decades, hard fired quality clay bricks have been designed to stand the test of time. They withstand hundreds of years of wear and tear without sacrificing their beauty or performance – meaning the carbon footprint over its lifetime is incredibly low.

Re-usable: Unlike other materials like concrete and cement, which are highly toxic to our environment and difficult to reuse) clay bricks are made of natural elements and can be easily recycled and used again for future projects. When choosing a friendly material for our environment, a Littlehampton Brick will always be a great option.

1. Factory Powered by Solar Energy

Running a brick manufacturing plant – even a boutique one like LHB – requires a significant amount of electricity to power the various machinery throughout the manufacturing process. This is why, back in February 2017, the company proactively invested in solar panels to cover the factory’s roof. Today a 344 solar panel array is in place (and it keeps growing). This switch to solar energy has helped LHB significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

2. Kiln Fired On Recycled Waste-Oil

Firing a traditional batch kiln to over 1100 1 Degrees Celsius is no easy task, but to ensure the highest quality clay bricks and pavers – it’s a necessity. Littlehampton Bricks uses a unique method to do it. Its kilns are fired on a non-fossil fuel and renewable energy: recycled waste oil. Local waste oil is collected from various places like restaurants and many others, then refined to be used to fire the kilns. So, instead of being wasted, the oil is used to make a premium brick full of character and history and as it reduces reliance on fossil fuels, it’s a more sustainable way of doing business.

3. Brick off-cuts

The process of extruding a Littlehampton brick involves several stages, one of which is to ensure the size consistency of the product. At this stage, any extra material is cut off from the brick columns – but instantly returns to the beginning of the production line. Nothing is wasted. Any off-cuts are reused in the production line itself, reusing resources and preventing unnecessary waste. This way, clients get a quality product consistent in size, and the environment is protected.

4. Reusable Pallets

Some companies try to save money by not using pallets to send their bricks out. This results in a loss of quality, breakages to bricks and damage, vs bricks sent on pallets. A product that is only strapped without a pallet) suffers much more from the impact in transport and is likely to chip, crack or break – especially if they have not been hard-fired.

Littlehampton Brick uses custom-built hardwood pallets. They are strong to protect the bricks and durable enough to be collected and reused several times. When needed, they are refurbished before going back into use. This is a measure that costs more but ensures the quality and saves many trees.

5. Energy Efficiency

Not only are the kilns fired using recycled waste oil, but the drying chambers recycle the heat from the kilns. This means the heat that would disperse in the environment is instead channelled through tunnels to help dry the next batch of bricks and warm them up in the pre-cooking stage. When the bricks get loaded into the batch kiln, they are already fully dry and warm, saving up on energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Lighting – The factory has several clear roofing patches to allow the natural sunlight to enter, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

6. Carbon Neutrality

Littlehampton Bricks is working to achieve Carbon Neutrality. The pathway isn’t simple: making a long-lasting and strong brick requires a lot of energy, and the alternatives are limited.

Nonetheless, by demonstrating our commitment, we’re investigating energy-efficient technologies, sustainable materials, and innovative production methods.
We aim to set a sustainable green precedent.

Our approach involves more than just planting trees.
Littlehampton is seeking a comprehensive, enduring solution to carbon neutrality.

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Sustainability