In a drive to improve the sustainability of its housing stock, Yorkshire Housing has utilised Aico’s eco-fit range as part of its smoke alarm replacement programme.
The Housing group owns and managers close to 20,000 homes in Yorkshire across 20 local authorities, and will now replace approximately 18,000 alarm heads over a 10-year period. Conscious of the end-of-life alarm replacement programme’s environmental impact, the eco-fit range will slide onto the already installed easi-fit bases, meaning plastic bases, dust covers and screw fittings do not enter the waste stream.
In 2021, Aico released its eco-fit range, exclusive to its flagship 3000 Series, which offers both fire and carbon monoxide detection from one range. Available in packs of 10, eco-fit is designed for upgrading or retrofitting, where easi-fit bases are already installed. To eliminate excess materials, eco-fit does not include bases, screw packs or dust covers, resulting in 100% less plastic than individually packaged alarms. Cardboard and paper used in packaging has also been minimised by up to 58% and is made from eco-friendly fully recyclable materials.
Yorkshire Housing are prioritising the sustainability of its services and is keen to lessen its environmental impact. The Association currently install Aico’s 3000 Series within its housing stock to comply with the D1 Specification recommended in BS 5839-6:2019+A1:2020; this means the eco-fit range is a suitable solution to contribute to their drive of becoming more sustainable.
Paul Simpson, Electrical Compliance Manager of Yorkshire Housing, comments: “It’s great to know that Aico have listened and have moved towards the eco-fit range. At Yorkshire Housing we replace about 18,000 heads over 10 years, so before the eco-fit range came out it would have meant 18,000 bases needlessly going into landfill. If you consider it could take up to 500 years before they degrade then the eco-fit range will have a real positive impact on the environment. We just need to get the message out there now to all other users.”
Aico’s Regional Specification Manager for the North, Tony Teal, has worked closely with Yorkshire Housing during the specification process of the eco-fit range. Tony adds “It’s great to see Yorkshire Housing taking their impact on the environment seriously and reducing their waste where possible. They are a forward-thinking organisation who help push our product offering forward. Paul has been a big support of this new range of head-only packs and provided some vital feedback during our feasibility study into this new range. Let’s hope other housing providers see what Yorkshire Housing are doing and also start to utilise the environmentally friendly product range when replacing alarms at the end of their life.”
In addition, Aico has also signed the Zero Carbon Shropshire (ZCS) pledge to support other local businesses on the journey to net zero and show its commitment to addressing the Shropshire-wide climate and ecological crisis.
The ZCS initiative is supported by the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership (SCAP), who created and oversee the Zero Carbon Shropshire Plan that provides an adequate response to the climate emergency.
Aico says it places sustainability at the fore, striving to create sustainable futures for local communities and environment. Prior to signing the ZCS pledge, the Oswestry-based company made a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. By implementing a Measure, Reduce, Balance strategy, Aico says it will measure the emissions annually, work to reduce them and finally offset the remainder via the means of credible, ethical offsetting and sequestration.
By signing the Zero Carbon Shropshire pledge, Aico will work with SCAP and other organisations, businesses and communities across Shropshire to work toward decarbonisation, large-scale restoration of biodiversity and the creation of more sustainable businesses. Those who have signed the pledge will work together, collaborate and share knowledge to achieve net zero carbon in Shropshire by 2030.
