It's no secret that the cement
industry contributes substantially to the whole of the carbon dioxide emissions
around the world. They're also guilty of energy over-use and the need to mine
for raw materials. For those reasons, it's no wonder why "eco-friendly"
is such a buzzword in terms of the cement sector – perhaps even more so than
other industries. Though in times of crisis, a steady supply of cement means
that countries in need are able to stimulate their economies, it also means
that those in the business need to be thinking, more than ever, about how to go
green. Alexander
F Bouri did it with his company Seament – other companies can get on the
wagon, too.
There's no doubt that in an
industry that generates such a massive product on a large scale, it's difficult
to "go green" entirely. But Nabil M al-Kaluti, general manager of
Khalid Cement Industries Complex, has made some moves.
Al-Kaluti firmly believes that one
of his projects, which consisted of planting a thick wall of trees around his
factory, which was contributory to reducing the amount of pollutants that
escaped from his factory. You're probably wondering how he kept the trees,
which lived in an ecosystem of pollution, survived, and he admits it was no
easy feat. "It involves a considerable cost, but our efforts have been
rewarded," al-Kaluti states.
The cement producer also states
that he has been aggressively encouraging recycling awareness and new, more
environmentally-friendly building materials. For one, he enforces strict rules
for his drivers to turn off their vehicles immediately when not in use to
reduce emissions. He has also implemented recycling plants which help to clean
and reuse water, which would otherwise become waste. Other waste materials are
reused as production components, too.
Along with finding cement
alternatives, the KCIC manager has also revealed that his company has paired up
with Qatar University in order to conduct a study on recycling tires for use in
cement mixes. The business sets a standard for "going green" in the
cement industry and continues to find new ways to manufacture earth-friendly
cement.
