Back to Earth, consulting on and supplying innovative, contemporary and sustainable building materials in the Southwest UK. Suppliers of conservation building materials.

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ETH system for zero emissions
Adding up the benefits
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Sustainable priorities

Concerns about climate change are central to the growing interest in sustainable building products and practices. Priorities are changing, with greater thermal efficiency and lower environmental impact at the top of everyone's list - both of which can be achieved through the use of more natural building products.

Back to Earth's environmental agenda

is based on a firm belief that the impact of UK house building on the environment can be dramatically reduced by increasing the use of natural building materials. As well as promoting products that will help bring about carbon emission reductions, Back to Earth is also committed to minimising its own carbon footprint.

The business operates out of old farm buildings reclaimed from encroaching dereliction. Its vehicles are run on bio-diesel and rainwater is harvested for the production of mortars. Recycled and natural materials are used where ever possible in the production of Back to Earth's own products.

The ETH system for zero emissions

According to BRE, the construction and use of buildings cause half of the UK's CO2 emissions - 20 per cent from construction, 80 per cent from energy used during use. The impact of both could be significantly reduced through the use of natural building materials.

Back to Earth has developed a new ETH system - earth blocks, timber and hemcrete (hemp-based concrete) - which could reduce CO2 emissions to zero or even a negative value of up to 10 tonnes thanks to the amazing capacity of hemcrete to absorb up to 110kg CO2 per cubic meter. (see model of EHT system here).

It also reduces the energy requirements of the finished building by keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in summer than conventional materials.

New legislation is expected to encourage less use of bricks and mortar in favour of timber constructions which, while being more environmentally friendly, have a shorter lifespan and are potentially too flimsy to withstand

the increasingly turbulent weather conditions we're experiencing due to climate change (see Guardian article). However, the new ETH system ticks all the boxes for both sustainability and practicality:

High thermal capacity
Potential for negative carbon emissions
Vapour permeability
Quick and economical to construct
Flexible and recyclable materials
Durable and sustainable

Adding up the benefits

Using Traditional hemcrete to build a typical house can result in a CO2 saving of 250kg per square meter. This could provide a CO2 saving of around 50 tonnes compared to a typical house build using conventional materials - the equivalent of 42 years of travelling 12,000 miles per year in a typical family car.