Displaying items by tag: Waste management

Mexico: Cemex has published its 2021 Integrated Report. Under the report’s Climate Action section, Cemex recorded a 4.7% year-on-year decrease in its CO₂ emissions per tonne of cementitious material. Alternative fuel (AF) substitution rose to 29%, while its products’ average clinker factor fell to 75%. It was the first company to complete a global roll-out of its reduced-CO₂ cement and concrete range (Vertua). It established Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)-verified well below 2°C 2030 climate action goals and joined the UN’s Race to Zero and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C coalition. It also became a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition for zero-carbon economic development.

The year also brought major Sustainability and Circular Economy milestones, including managing 57 times the volume of waste it sent to landfill, positively impacting 25m lives through its Social Impact Strategy and processing 61% of global sales through its Cemex Go digital sales platform. For the second consecutive year, its Net Promotor Score was 68, ‘substantially above’ the construction and engineering industry average.

Philippines: The government’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau has called on cement producers to maximise their use of waste plastic as a raw material in cement production. Philippines News Agency has reported that bureau director William Cuñado estimated that the measures would bring about a 40 – 60% drop in national plastic waste generation. He said that local government has a part to play in arranging the requisite municipal solid waste (MSW) practices.

Costa Rica: Société Générale de Surveillance has awarded Holcim Costa Rica its Positive Packaging certificate for 100% packaging energy recovery in 2021. The company offset the 1500t carbon footprint of its packaging production for the year by sorting and co-processing 14,000t of paper as fuel. It sourced the paper from its customer cement bag return scheme and through municipal recycling services run by fellow Holcim subsidiary Geocycle Costa Rica.

Holcim Costa Rica sustainability coordinator Catalina Mora said “Waste management is a global challenge, so this project has a direct impact on our contribution as a company to the vision of sustainability for the country.”

Honduras: Cementos Argos plans to expand the production capacity of its 1Mt/yr Piedras Azules cement plant by 35%. The plan is part of a group of planned projects, including solar power and alternative fuels, with a total investment value of US$23m. The company expects to complete all of the work before 2024. It says that the expanded operations will generate 500 new direct job opportunities.

The company will increase its energy supply from the Comayagua solar power plant to 25% of the plant’s requirements from 20% at present. It will also establish a new 1.2MW solar power plant at Río Blanquito. The cement producer will also strengthen its industrial waste co-processing operations with the aim of achieving 12% refuse-derived fuel (RDF) substitution rate by 2030, the equivalent of 5500t/yr. If reached, this will reduce the company’s carbon footprint in the country by 14%.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Luis Eduardo Tovar said "This investment is a vote of confidence of Argos in Honduras and represents our commitment to the country's economic reactivation and our firm determination to contribute to the consolidation of prosperous and sustainable communities based on competitive and visionary initiatives.” He continued “We will continue our efforts to promote the development of Honduran families through the creation of social value at a national level."

Germany: Vecoplan has said that it will host 360-Degree Days, an exclusive live presentation from its technology centre, from 27 - 29 May 2020. It says that the event is aimed at filling the void left by the cancellation of IFAT 2020, which would have covered waste and raw materials management, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Vecoplan said, “Participants will learn all about recycling and processing technology, subdivided into several topic areas. Details on the content will be announced closer to the time.”

US: Titan America's Pennsuco plant, which includes cement manufacturing, aggregates, quarrying, block manufacturing and ready-mix concrete operations, has been officially recognised as a Gold Level Zero Waste facility, making it the only facility of its kind in the US to achieve Zero Waste Status.

"The Zero Waste Certification is a remarkable accomplishment and consistent with Titan America's commitment to striving for best-in-class sustainability practices. Congratulations to our Environmental Department and thanks to everyone at Pennsuco for their help and support. We should all feel very proud of this," said Randy Dunlap, president of Titan America's Florida business.

To qualify for Zero Waste Certification, the Pennsuco Complex was required to demonstrate greater than 90% diversion from landfill use for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. This includes reducing, reusing, recycling or composting discarded materials or recovering the materials for productive use in nature of the economy at biological temperatures and pressures. It requires implementing sustainable strategies for resource and waste management. The process for certification process also included an extensive on-site audit, which was performed by Zero Waste Council members.

Zero Waste recertification occurs every three years. The Pennsuco site is now aiming for Platinum Certification. Titan's Pennsuco Plant has also been recognised for other sustainability initiatives, including Wildlife Habitat Certification and EnergyStar Certification. Titan's two cement plants at Pennsuco and Roanoke have been EnergyStar certified for 10 consecutive years.

Vietnam: Deputy prime minister Hoang Trung Hai has directed the implementation of solutions to treat waste at thermal power plants for energy conservation and environmental protection.

Trung Hai urged the concerned parties to more effectively implement Government Decision 1696/QD-TTg on measures to treat gypsum, ash and cinder from thermal power, chemical or fertiliser plants for the production of building materials. Special focus should be paid to the Vinh Tan in Binh Thuan, An Khanh in Thai Nguyen, Song Hau in Mekong Delta Hau Giang and Vung Ang in Ha Tinh thermal power plants, where waste treatment is a pressing issue.

He asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with localities to disseminate effective waste treatment models while supplementing and completing criteria on the quality of ash and cinder for recycling in cement and construction material production.

Vietnam is home to 19 operating thermal power plants with a total capacity of 14,480MW, which discharge about 15Mt/yr of ash and cinder. After 2020, the country is expected to have 43 thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 39,020MW, discharging over 30Mt/yr of ash and cinder.

Nigeria: The Ogun State Government has entered into partnership with Lafarge Africa on sustainable waste management towards the generation of renewable energy and youth employment, according to All Africa.

"This initiative will help clear our waste and make us live more healthily. With this sustainable waste management solution, we would generate much-needed energy and employment opportunities for our youths," said governor Ibikunle Amosun during a visit to the Saje dump site in Abeokuta. He added that there are plans to set up a dump site in each of the three Senatorial Districts of Ogun.

New Lafarge Africa CEO Peter Hoddinott expressed deep conviction that the combustible and recyclable energy would bring a new lease of life to the people, as well as improve the economy of the state.

Thailand: Executives from 50 administrative bodies in Nakhon Ratchasima Province have discussed how to dispose of 638,060t of accumulated garbage. A report on 'proper and practical methods' for disposal of the rubbish must be sent to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning by 30 July 2015.

The Comptroller-General's department has calculated that Nakhon Ratchasima will need US$6.19m in the 2016 fiscal year to dispose of the accumulated trash. Ranongrak Suwanchawee, president of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organisation, said that officials had agreed to transport and dispose of the garbage at a TPI Polene cement plant in Saraburi Province. This meant 29,000 trips to carry the trash in trucks plus the digging and levelling of a tip. The organisation has estimated that Nakhon Ratchasima would need a budget of about US$7.33m, slightly more than the department calculated.