A common question that tends to crop up in relation to resin bound stone driveways, relates to their environmental impact. Many people are under the impression that resin bound stone is unsustainable and has a negative impact on our surroundings however, this is not strictly the case.
The primary argument in favour of resin bound stone is that it conforms to the Environment Agencies SUDs regulations but it is important to explore what this actually means. SUDS stands for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems – the essence of this legislation is that as of October 2008 it became a legal requirement that hard surfacing in areas exceeding 5 square metres must be permeable. This initiative acts as a sustainable way to manage surface water in that it creates the effect of mimicking natural drainage and water filtration systems by adapting and slowing down the way in which the water runs off.
Whilst the regulations stipulate the current drainage specifications, it is important to remember there cannot be a retrospective effect – if a driveway has pre-existing concrete it is arguable that the environmental impact will be much greater if all home owners chose to rip them up with a view to the more favourable permeable approach. So what is the solution? The basic answer to this still lies with resin bound stone as it can be used to ‘upcycle’ tired, cracked concrete and extend its life span for an excess of 20 years.
To conclude, resin bound stone is an excellent, fuss-free choice for the conscientious property owner. The system boasts a number of advantageous features in that it contributes to flood and weed prevention, the reduction of puddles and water pollution and the main bulk of the materials are naturally sourced. Not only this but the durability of the system means that it will not require regular replacement and thus the environmental impact is minimal.
Here at Advanced Resin Solutions, we are dedicated to the minimisation of waste and ensuring that our carbon footprint is as low as possible – in order to achieve this, we recycle as many by-products of the resin bound stone process as possible and aim to re-use or repurpose any materials obtained whilst on site.
