- Geocycle working towards building a plastic-free Agra with support of its municipality
- Second project to be installed on Varuna River in Varanasi
Mumbai, October 25, 2021: Recognizing the need to address the challenge of marine plastic pollution, Geocycle India, the in-house waste management arm of Ambuja Cements Limited and ACC Limited, has been making ongoing efforts to collect and co-process the plastic waste in the country.
The pilot project Geocycle Bubble Barrier was commissioned on Mantola Canal in April 2021. Since the time of inception, it has been running successfully and has thwarted 500 tonnes of plastic waste leakage in the Yamuna River so far. The collected plastic waste will be co-processed within Ambuja and ACC plants.
In its endeavours to support the plastic-free Agra mission, this successful pilot, being fully supported by the Agra municipality, has been a pioneering step from Ambuja and ACC. The waste collected from the riverbank, as well as waste from Agra’s MRF (Material Recovery Facility), has been safely transported by Geocycle for safe re-purposing in the nearby plants of Ambuja and ACC.
Mr. Nikhil Funde, Municipal Commissioner, Agra, said, “Installation of Geocycle Bubble Barrier is one of the most important initiatives being implemented to tackle plastic waste in Agra. It has helped Agra Municipal Corporation to stay committed to its goal of making Agra plastic-free.”
With the success of the first pilot – Geocycle Bubble Barrier, the second project is already in the planning phase which will be installed in Varanasi. The equipment will be installed on the Varuna River, right before the confluence point of Varuna and Ganges. The project is in the final phase for data collection, and scope finalization with the local municipality.
Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim and Managing Director & CEO of Ambuja Cements Ltd said, “We are committed to building a sustainable future by adopting clean and green technologies. Our waste management arm Geocycle India has been our pillar in driving these initiatives and has helped us to co-process and reuse industrial wastes. Taking this mission ahead, we shall continue to recover energy safely and recycle material value inherent in waste, leaving zero residues.”
Additionally, Ambuja is also exploring establishing another Bubble Barrier in the state of Gujarat and managed within our Ambuja Nagar. This will help the local community around the plant by collecting plastics leaking into the rivers.
About Ambuja Cement:
Ambuja Cements Ltd. is a member of Holcim, the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. Among the leading cement companies in India with a capacity of 29.65 million tons, Ambuja Cement has five integrated cement manufacturing plants and eight cement grinding units across the country. Ambuja Cement has provided hassle-free, home-building solutions with its unique sustainable development projects and environment-friendly practices since it started operations. The Company has many firsts to its credit – a captive port with four terminals that has facilitated timely, cost-effective, cleaner shipments of bulk cement to its customers. To further add value to customers, the Company has launched innovative products like Ambuja Kawach, Ambuja Roof Special, Ambuja Compocem and Ambuja Cool Walls, under the umbrella of Ambuja Certified Technology, which help in significantly reducing carbon footprints. Its sustainable operations and initiatives help advance the Company’s philosophy of contributing to societal well-being.
For more details, visit http://www.ambujacement.com
For queries, please write to corporate.communications@ambujacement.com
About ACC
ACC Limited, a member of the global LafargeHolcim Group, is one of India’s leading producers of cement and ready mix concrete. It has over 6,400 employees, 17 cement manufacturing sites, 80 concrete plants and a nationwide network of over 50,000 channel partners to serve its customers. With a world-class R&D centre in Mumbai, the quality of ACC’s products and services, as well as its commitment to technological development, make it a preferred brand in building materials. Established in 1936, ACC is counted among the country’s ‘Most Sustainable Companies’ and is recognised for its best practices in environment management and corporate citizenship.