Precast concrete specialist celebrates outstanding EQI score and opening of new concrete plant

The MBS Group is celebrating triple. After all, it was recently included in the National Environmental Database with an excellent MKI score. In addition, it was able to put its brand new concrete plant in Alphen aan den Rijn into operation and as icing on the cake it also received the CSC Silver certificate for its location in Soest. The precast concrete specialist decided to split the former concrete plant in Vianen into two production sites. The fair-faced concrete plant in Soest concentrates mainly on the production of stairs, landings, balconies, galleries and other special products, while the focus in Alphen aan den Rijn is on structural concrete for residential, high-rise and commercial construction.

David Bouter, director of the latter location, explains why this division was chosen: "Here in Alphen aan den Rijn we are centrally located in relation to our customers, most of whom are in the Randstad. We are already seeing that we are making far fewer transport movements and therefore fewer kilometers, which fits in with our goal of working as sustainably as possible. Since the production and finishing of the visible work requires a different approach than that of the so-called gray concrete work, we wanted to split this work."

The MBS Group deliberately chooses to have its own concrete plant. "This has the advantage that we can make our own mix and work more sustainably. For example, we use secular material such as concrete granulate. This is recycled concrete rubble. We are also better able to use more environmentally friendly alternatives to cement. After all, cement is the biggest culprit in terms of CO2 emissions. Therefore, we try to reduce this share by using cement substitutes. We are constantly testing and experimenting with these. Moreover, having our own concrete plant gives us the opportunity to purchase raw materials as sustainably as possible."

CRC certification

MBS Soest recently earned CSC-Silver certification. CSC is committed to the sustainability of concrete worldwide. The certificate provides an insight into how companies deal with environmentally, socially and economically responsible business practices. Bouter explains: "You go through an entire process to demonstrate that your business processes meet the certification requirements. As a company, we find it important to show both our customers and our employees that we are serious about issues such as working conditions, safety and sustainability."

National Environmental Database

The Environmental Cost Indicator (EQI) aggregates all relevant environmental impacts of a product into a single score. It reveals the extent to which a concrete product is produced sustainably compared to alternative or other concrete products. The lower the score, the more sustainable the product. "We had this calculation performed by SGS Intron. They came up with a wonderful score, which means we scored incredibly well compared to the competition." 

Future

That MBS is serious about sustainability is shown with "De Groene Vaart"; an in-house initiative that seeks to achieve minimal environmental impact in the production and construction of concrete. By working with environmentally conscious quarries, using sustainable technologies and raw materials and making transport more sustainable, it is contributing to a better future. "We are proud of our efforts and continue to strive for further improvements to minimize our environmental footprint."