CO-FOUNDER OF ENVIROBUILD

Having worked in sustainability for over 12 years , Dr Aidan Bell , Co-founder of the UK-based sustainable and low-maintenance composite home materials company , EnviroBuild , is an expert in the field . Viewing anthropogenic climate change as a significant threat to people ’ s ways of life , Dr Bell has endeavoured to align his daily work with the mitigation of environmental impact .

Could you share a poignant moment or experience that deeply influenced your decision to dedicate your career to mitigating environmental impact and creating a greener future ?

That ’ s an interesting question . I think it was a gradual process rather than a Damascene moment . For as long as I can remember I have been aware of climate change , but I think it wasn ’ t until I ’ d co-founded EvoEnergy in the solar industry that I realised I couldn ’ t go back to something that wasn ’ t making a difference .

The journey toward founding EnviroBuild seems to have a strong connection to your values . Can you tell us about a specific challenge or obstacle you faced while building the company that tested your drive and determination to make a lasting environmental impact ?

This is definitely true . The values that drive my Co-founder , James , and I , are closely aligned , which has allowed us to make value decisions over solely commercial decisions .

The biggest difficulty has been ignoring opportunities when they don ’ t align with our values , particularly with complementary products . One example is the heavily green-washed solution of artificial grass which we decided to never sell .

An obstacle we ’ re encountering is the indifference of the people tasked with making the buying decisions . Whilst there are often lovely press statements , the person usually charged with making the decisions has their performance judged solely on cost , and therefore , more often than not , makes the decision based solely on cost .

Can you elaborate on the technological advancements that enable EnviroBuild to produce composite decking boards with significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional timber deck boards ?

In our case the technological advancements were already made , it was simply a matter of educating the manufacturers that the demand was there . The biggest changes were ensuring the plastic was from recycled sources , ensuring the wood flour was postindustrial waste and then ensuring that the entire manufacturing process was carried out using renewable energy .

Could you provide more details about the renewable wind energy production method that EnviroBuild has adopted for its Hyperion composite decking boards and other products ?

This is the same system that you purchase green electricity in the UK . You are essentially paying a premium for the electricity

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