Buyers from around the world have taken interest in a revolutionary roofing tile – weighing less than 25 per cent of its conventional overlay – which has been developed by a company in the Midlands.

The ‘Envirotile’ won the Lord Stafford Award for Environmental Sustainability at a prestigious ceremony held at the University of Birmingham’s Great Hall, on November 17. The recognition comes after Trevor Wakefield, owner of the Green Roof Tile Company, worked alongside the Caparo Innovation Centre at the University of Wolverhampton to test the Envirotile.

The tile, made from recycled polymers and weighing just 731g, clips together using a tongue and groove mechanism that allows up to eight tiles to be interlocked. Trevor Wakefiled, a roofer for over 35 years, was inspired to develop the Envirotile while watching television on a cold, wet and windy day during a holiday in March 2008.

“I had my ‘Eureka moment’ after watching an environmental programme on the subject of plastic pollution and contamination of the world’s oceans. The programme highlighted that solutions to this waste problem were desperately needed,” explained Trevor. “Having been employed as a roofer for all my working life, and having knowledge based on hard experience, I knew there was scope for a product that could act as a vessel for polymer waste streams in the form of a modern roof tile. I also knew there was no effective roof tile product in the UK that was properly designed and made entirely from recycled polymer,”

Following exhaustive tests at the Building Research Establishment, Trevor set about designing the Envirotile. The inspectors remarked that the product was the best roof tile system they had ever tested.  

Trevor added: “Roof slates have been the mainstays of construction for centuries. The Envirotile can not only change this, but also deliver enormous environmental benefits as a result of reduced transport costs and the extensive use of recycled materials in the production process.”

Enquiries for the Envirotile have been coming from worldwide locations, including China, the USA, Canada, Panama, and South Africa, as well as a number of roofing projects already completed in the UK. For further information visit www.greenrooftilecompany.co.uk