Marley Eternit ditches natural slate

In a bid to remove all non-sustainable products from its range, Marley Eternit has stopped using natural slate in the manufacture of its roofing materials.

The mining of slate is extremely inefficient, with just 5% of all slate mined deemed useable, while the rest goes to waste.

Having removed slate from its range, all Marley Eternit's roofing materials have achieved A ratings in BRE's Green Guide.

Norman Richards, head of environment at Marley Eternit, said: "There are a number of factors that also prohibit the use of natural slate, including the higher cost, the variable quality of imported slate and the skills shortage.

"Fibre cement and concrete alternatives get round all these issues: the quality is far more consistent, the cost is lower, they are easier to fit and come from sustainable resources."