Innovative waste management

Holcim Leadership Journey: AFR

Innovative waste management Holcim is using its cement kilns to help communities and companies safely dispose of their waste

Thomas Guillot Leader of the AFR stream in the Holcim Leadership Journey:

The objective of the AFR stream within the Holcim Leadership Journey is to generate value through the development of waste management services as a business. In AFR, we are working on almost 150 projects and that significantly contribute to the targets of the Holcim Leadership Journey.

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Holcim Leadership Journey: AFR Waste management at Holcim is more than just substitution of traditional fuels

Throw an old rubber sneaker into the bin in Vietnam today and it may very well end up in a surprising place— a Holcim cement kiln. This is because an increasing number of communities and companies in the country are using the services of Geocycle Vietnam, a Holcimowned waste management unit, to help them safely and ecologically dispose of their waste, with full peace of mind.

Geocycle is the brand name for Holcim-owned or affiliated companies offering waste management services around the world. In Asia, alongside Vietnam Geocycle is active in Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India.

The services of the Holcim Geocycle Asia Network are in high demand. Waste management is an increasingly urgent problem for communities and industries in the region, as it is in most parts of the world. By some estimates, worldwide solid waste production

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Strict waste management regulations offer business opportunities for Holcim

will increase by more than 50 percent over the next

is high enough to completely destroy any organic

10 years. Industrial processes are also increasingly

compounds and safely recycle inorganic compounds

producing waste and by-products containing poten-

into clinker chemistry. The process works equally

tially harmful compounds that must be disposed

well for liquid waste, such as solvents or sludge from

of safely.

waste water plants, as it does for solid waste, such as plastics or rubber.

As a response, many governments are introducing more stringent regulations, and looking to find and

Over the years, the cement industry has developed

implement sustainable waste management solu-

the technology to use waste products as substitutes

tions. Thanks to rapid development, the challenge

for traditional fuels such as coal or natural gas, or

is particularly acute in Asia. This makes waste man-

raw materials used in its kilns, such as iron. Known

agement in the region both an important industry

as co-processing, it is a highly efficient, environ-

in terms of protecting the environment, and also

mentally friendly process which helps reduce carbon

a growth market for the companies supplying

emissions of cement plants and leaves no residue.

these services.

To meet the waste management needs in Asia, Co-processing

Holcim is increasing its co-processing activities in the

The Geocycle business is based on the fortuitous

region. This requires a great deal of expertise. While

circumstance that, along with producing clinker,

it may sound simple, co-processing involves technical

a cement kiln is a very environmentally friendly place

expertise Holcim has developed over years.

to dispose of waste. Inside the kiln, flame temperatures can reach up to 2,000 degrees Celsius, which Rice husks are an important AFR source in Asia

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For customers, it is a safe, economical solution to

In Asia, Holcim has been extending its infrastructure

a difficult and sometimes dangerous problem.

for pre-processing and co-processing, including in-

For Holcim, it is a way of contributing toward sus-

stalling new feeding systems, platforms and transfer

tainable development by consuming less fuel and

stations, and investing in further equipment neces-

fewer raw materials. It also represents a revenue

sary to ensure the safe transportation and proper

stream through the fees the Group receives for

transformation of the waste.

its waste management services. In Asia, the Geocycle

Holcim Leadership Journey: AFR

Extending infrastructure and services

businesses are projected to contribute more than The Group has also been expanding the Geocycle

USD 100 million of gross added value to the Group

organization in the region. It is hiring and training

over the next few years.

new staff, bolstering its presence in the market through increased marketing and sales efforts, and

It is no wonder, then, that waste management

expanding its service offering. Today, along with

services and alternative energy use play a significant

co-processing, the seven companies in the Geocycle

role in the Holcim Leadership Journey, and that

Asian Network offer waste transport, waste analysis,

they are an important part of the company’s overall

and waste management advisory services to a grow-

alternative fuels and raw materials efforts. By recov-

ing number of customers.

ering and recycling waste in a cement kiln, Holcim is reducing costs, creating value and contributing to a

A win-win proposition

cleaner world.

At Holcim, thermal energy accounts for more than half of total energy expenditure, and the Group works hard to manage these costs. Co-processing is one important contributor to this. It is also a true win-win proposition for communities, waste management services customers and the Group.

Inorganic compounds are turned into safe recyclable ash

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