In a bold move towards sustainability, Moddex Australia, a leading manufacturer of pre-fabricated handrail & balustrade systems has announced its transition to locally sourced, lower carbon aluminium from Capral. This strategic decision underscores Moddex's commitment to environmental responsibility while contributing to the imperative goal of decarbonising built environment and infrastructure projects.
The choice to embrace LocAl® Green lower carbon aluminium represents a significant milestone in Moddex's sustainability journey.
Capral's LocAl® offer includes two lower carbon aluminium options: LocAl® Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al* and LocAl® Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al* - amongst the lowest carbon aluminium available globally.
Luke Hawkins, General Manager of Supply & Industrial Solutions, comments: "In 2023, 30% of the primary aluminium billet Capral uses in its eight local extrusion presses had a carbon content lower than eight kilograms CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. Approximately 300 tonnes had a certified carbon content lower than 4 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of aluminium. This is a strategic change for Capral, driven by our desire to make lower-carbon aluminium accessible to Australian manufacturers like Moddex. The market is looking for this product, and as Australia's largest extruder of aluminium, we must make it available."
Decarbonising the built environment is a pressing global challenge with far-reaching implications. Buildings and infrastructure account for a substantial portion of greenhouse gas emissions, stemming from both construction activities and operational energy consumption. As such, transitioning to more sustainable materials, such as lower-carbon aluminium, is paramount in mitigating the environmental impact of the built environment.
"Aluminium is a versatile and widely used material in construction, it's well suited to our products and has many benefits, its durable, corrosion resistant, light and strong however, it is also known for its energy-intensive production processes, which can result in substantial carbon emissions. By partnering with Capral and switching our extruded aluminium purchases to LocAl®, Moddex is not only ensuring the quality of its products but also aligning its operations with environmental stewardship principles". Says Joe Rowland, Sales Director at Moddex
In addition to the lower-carbon credentials of LocAl® Capral has also recently been certified against the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody (CoC) V2 for the extrusion, warehousing and distribution of aluminium products and services. The certifications apply to all of Capral's 26 facilities, which are composed of mills, distribution centres, and trade centres and are spread across every state and territory in Australia. These certifications recognise Capral's commitment to responsible production, sourcing, and management of aluminium products.
"Our product is often specified for commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects, which have stringent sustainability and environmental stewardship requirements. Capral's ASI certification enables us to communicate that the aluminium we are supplying has been responsibly sourced from the very start of the aluminium value chain from mining and refining to the extrusions, which are custom manufactured for our systems." Joe comments
Unlike traditionally welded alternatives, Moddex proprietary modular handrail & balustrade designs eliminate design and engineering costs and onsite fabrication issues while reducing installation costs. Be it civil or infrastructure projects, public pathways, sports stadiums or commercial or educational buildings, Moddex has installed pre-fabricated handrail and balustrade systems.
"Innovation goes to the very core of our business, we have made solving problems a priority for our team and work hard to make things easier for the architects and engineers working with our systems. By embracing Capral's LocAl, we are just innovating in another way, making it easier for architects and engineers to achieve a compliant, durable, robust and flexible solution for the project, which also ticks the boxes on sustainability and responsible procurement." Adds Joe.
As businesses across various sectors recognise the urgency of addressing climate change, proactive initiatives like this inspire emulation and collective action. By demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of sustainable practices, Moddex catalyses a ripple effect, encouraging other companies to follow suit and embrace sustainability as a core business principle.
* CO2e emissions stated are ex smelter based on kilograms emitted per kilogram of aluminium produced – Aluminium Smelting and Casting
Australia
Hong Kong SAR
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
