Materials to Build a Sustainable Future:
Our Sustainability Plan

We believe in creating a brighter future by building responsibly today.

Climate-friendly construction calls for climate-friendly building materials, and we’re rising to the challenge. With innovative, sustainable practices at the heart of our operations, we’re designing and manufacturing products that not only meet the highest quality standards but also prioritise environmental and social responsibility throughout their lifecycle. By embracing resource efficiency, recycling, and the future potential of concrete reuse, we’re proud to be paving the way for a circular economy.

Environmental Management: A Commitment to Sustainability

As Cork’s leading provider of natural aggregates and construction materials, Keohane Readymix recognises the environmental impact of our activities. That’s why we’re steadfast in our mission to minimise these effects and, where possible, create environmental benefits for both extraction and restoration works.

We are committed to compliance with strict environmental legislation, preventing pollution, and continuously improving our practices. To achieve this, we’ve implemented an Environmental Management System that not only keeps us accountable but also ensures we meet the ambitious sustainability goals we’ve set for ourselves.

Revolutionising Concrete Production

Our approach to concrete production is driven by innovation and responsibility. For over 20 years, we’ve incorporated Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a supplementary cementitious material in our concrete mixes – partially replacing cement in all our concrete batching plants. This by-product of the iron and steel industry is a sustainability champion—it is a strength enhancing compound that improves concrete durability, while reducing its carbon footprint over its lifetime, and eliminates waste streams.

We partner with Irish Cement to source Portland cement because of its reduced carbon footprint. Their state-of-the-art, efficient kilns and mills and product innovations, including use of alternative raw materials, limestone and fossil fuel replacements like overburden as a source of silica instead of importing shale, have slashed CO2 emissions by 15% over the past 25 years.

Readymix concrete production facilities at our plant in Innishannon, Co. Cork

We use their CEM II cement in bulk and bagged products. Instead of 100% high intense carbon cement clinker, 15% comes from unburned limestone. Together, we’re redefining what’s possible for sustainable construction.

But we’re not stopping there. By turning by-products from our washing plants like 6mm aggregate into sand for concrete production, we’re extending the life of natural resources and further reducing our environmental footprint. And with concrete’s thermal insulation properties, our products contribute to long-term energy savings for buildings throughout their service life.

Our concrete mix designs will continue to address all our customer requirements whilst optimising the mix design to minimise carbon.

Building Smarter

Many of our clients are turning to high-performance concrete, a material defined by its exceptional compressive strength. This innovation enables the construction of leaner, lighter structures that use materials more efficiently while maintaining superior durability.

The result? A significant reduction in CO2 emissions, as these robust structures are designed to stand the test of time—eliminating the need for demolition or rebuilding in the future. High-performance concrete allows for sleek, efficient designs that balance strength with sustainability, paving the way for smarter, more environmentally conscious construction.

Turning Waste into Opportunity

“Waste not, want not” a phrase often used by our parents… and how right they were. At Keohane Readymix, we’ve embraced recycling and reuse as part of our manufacturing DNA:

• Leftover concrete in our readymix plants is transformed into durable Lego blocks (see image).
• Silt created from washing aggregates is repurposed for land reclamation.
• Stormwater and excess water from washing trucks is harnessed, decontaminated and reused in our washing plants.
• Tyres, oil, and metal are responsibly recycled.

Concrete lego blocks created from leftover concrete.

Local Focus, Global Impact

We’re proud to be rooted in Cork County, employing local people, using local raw materials, and supplying a local market. We produce our own aggregates, blocks and readymix on site at our plants located throughout Cork County. By keeping our operations close to home, we ensure a local supply of products while greatly reducing transport emissions and fossil fuel consumption, proving that sustainability starts in our own backyard.

Aerial view of our Innishannon plant, where readymix, blocks and aggregates are all produced on site.

Championing Biodiversity

Our sand and gravel pits have become havens for wildlife and are rich in biodiversity. There is an abundance of different tree species, both those planted by us and naturally occurring. Our Innishannon quarry is a wildlife sanctuary. Exhausted areas of our quarries are rewilded, creating thriving ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.

Views of our Wildlife Sanctuary at Innishannon

Driving Cleaner Transportation

Our state-of-the-art fleet of trucks is equipped with Euro 6 diesel engines, delivering increased efficiency, better fuel economy, and reduced CO2 emissions. This investment in modern technology has dramatically decreased our fuel consumption over the past decade, ensuring a cleaner journey for every delivery.

Our striking orange and black striped trucks can be seen delivering to construction sites, farms and homes around Cork City and throughout Cork County.

HVO Low Carbon Fuel

In 2025, we are excited to embark on a pilot project to transition from diesel to a low carbon, renewable green HVO fuel. With transport emissions accounting for a significant share of the company’s overall output, reducing these emissions is a critical step toward achieving our ambitious target of a 90% reduction by 2030.

Green HVO offers a seamless transition from diesel, requiring no modifications to our vehicles or engines. By adopting this cleaner, renewable fuel, we are cutting carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90%, while also improving air quality with reduced odours and reduced noise levels. This initiative directly benefits our drivers, customers, and the broader community, while aligning with our long-term commitment to sustainability.

Paperless Progress

We’re ditching paper and embracing streamlined, paperless systems at each of our depots. This shift not only reduces waste but also enhances efficiency and lowers our carbon footprint, proving that small changes can make a big difference.

Environmental Mitigation

Environmental impact mitigation is a top priority for the company. We continually monitor emissions to minimise the impact of our sand and gravel pits on the environment. Planning consents also include emission limit values for dust, noise and groundwater, ensuring we adhere to environmental standards.

We diligently collect and report on environmental data from our sand and gravel pits, covering dust, noise, and ground water. This data-driven approach allows us to continuously improve our environmental performance, ensuring compliance with regulations and fostering a culture of accountability and responsibility.

Social Responsibility: Supporting Our Communities

At Keohane Readymix, our people and communities are the cornerstone of everything we do. As a family-run business, we’ve always taken a long-term view, prioritising investments in our staff and fostering strong relationships with our customers and local communities. Our employees are at the core of our success, and their well-being is central to our operations.

We take immense pride in being a good community member wherever we operate, and we’re dedicated to making a positive impact. Through sponsorships and charitable donations, we support several local organisations and events, including GAA, rugby, and soccer clubs, agricultural shows, golf classics, charity fundraisers, festivals, ploughing matches, vintage shows, rally events, and more.

Our commitment goes beyond financial contributions. We actively seek to understand and minimise the impact of our operations on our neighbours, striving to be a responsible and considerate presence in every area we operate. This ethos has earned us a reputation as a company that genuinely cares about the communities we call home.

“Over the years Keohane Readymix have been wonderful supporters of us in Innishannon Tidy Towns. If we need gravel, sand or readymix for a project it is just a phone call away. They receive any request with the utmost courtesy and deliver at any hour convenient to us.

They keep all the roads around their gravel pit in pristine condition and if you were to drive along the road fronting their works you would be totally unaware that any industry was going on in there. Over the years they have planted and enhanced the surrounding Bandon valley. Their tree planting has been a huge enrichment to our area.

Keohane Readymix is an example of a community conscious operation and we in Innishannon Tidy Towns are very appreciative of their support and their environmental concern for the Bandon Valley. We consider ourselves very lucky to have them as part of our community.”

| Innishannon Tidy Towns Committee

Our focus on social responsibility also extends to our environmental practices. By maintaining an Environmental Management System (EMS), we ensure that our actions align with our values of sustainability and community care. We aim to build not just strong structures but also strong connections with the people around us.

Innovating for the Future

Our investment in cutting-edge technologies, like our Brinny washing system for natural sand and stone, underscores our commitment to sustainability. The Brinny plant recycles 90% of all water used, produces five new saleable products from recycled materials, and all on a relatively compact footprint.

Innovative sand and gravel washing system at our plant in Brinny, Co. Cork.

Our plan is to extend this plant into the recycling of concrete to create recycled sand and gravel.  We later hope to use this high-quality aggregate in production of new concrete, starting off with lean mix concrete.

The Road Ahead: Sustainability at the Core

Keohane Readymix Ltd. is charting a sustainable path forward. Plans include the introduction of Environmental Product Declarations which measure and calculate the embodied carbon of products consistently.

Sustainability and decarbonisation of our construction materials is much more than just a strategy; it’s central to our vision for the future. Playing our part in building a world that’s stronger, greener, and better for generations to come.