As part of a huge eco-drive by Manchester City Council, Northwards Housing is trialling EcoLogic for the refurbishment of eight houses. This is one of the first developments to use the innovative tile that was invented and patented by Marley Eternit last year.
The EcoLogic tile has a special coating that removes nitrogen oxides, which contribute to asthmatic and bronchial problems, from the air along with other atmospheric pollutants responsible for smog and acid rain. Marley Eternit estimates that during its lifetime an average-sized roof with EcoLogic tiles could remove an amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) equivalent to that emitted by a modern car travelling 100,000 miles.
An estimated 6,500 EcoLogic tiles have been used for the project in Newton Heath, Manchester to help cut pollution in the surrounding area.
Acclaimed as the most environmentally-friendly roof tile in the marketplace, EcoLogic also benefits from the same durability and quality you would expect to find from a Marley Eternit interlocking concrete tile.
Abid Hanif, home improvement service manager, Northwards Housing, comments: “When we heard about the EcoLogic tiles, we realised the important role that roofs could play in sustainable housing. We’re proud to be spearheading the use of these innovative tiles and also helping the Government to meet its target of reducing NOx emission levels to 1.2 million by 2010.”
Dr. Andrew McKnight, head of research and development at Marley Eternit, who was integral to the tile’s development, comments: “Specifiers are increasingly looking for ecologically friendly products, so being able to use a roof tile that actually improves the environment is the next step. The new tile also combines much higher levels of recycled materials than standard concrete tiles.”
The EcoLogic coating contains special grades of titanium dioxide (TiO2) that trigger a reaction under the influence of the UV radiation in sunlight converting NOx into nitric acid ions. These are then neutralised by the lime and calcium carbonate in the concrete.