Holcim rolls out green cement

MANILA, Philippines — Leading building solutions provider Holcim Philippines took another significant step in helping the country’s sustainable development with the launch of Holcim ECOPlanet, its most environment-friendly product with more than 30 percent lower carbon footprint than other general purpose cement.

Holcim will offer ECOPlanet as a general purpose blended cement ideal for structural applications that delivers equal to superior construction performance while lowering the carbon footprint of buildings. This product will be made available in 40-kg bags in paper and plastic bags. The Philippines will be among the first markets where ECOPlanet is available.

ECOPlanet’s lower environmental footprint and equal to superior performance are driven by the addition of blast furnace slag, a by-product of iron ore smelting to produce pig iron for steel making. Adding slag lowers the clinker content and carbon footprint of cement while enhancing the durability and long-term strength of concrete.

Holcim will aim for an environmental product declaration (EPD) for ECOPlanet in the next few months to be independently verified by a third-party reviewer. In addition, the company will launch a program to collect used ECOPLanet plastic bags for recycling by an accredited facility to support the company’s sustainability commitments. ECOPlanet’s Philippine launch is timely with construction activity projected to steadily rise to support a growing economy and population, and rising public awareness on the importance of building more sustainably.

“Winning with purpose requires delivering our customer promise while also caring for the planet. We see a growing interest in building greener structures in the Philippines. ECOPlanet enables us to provide our partners with the best balance of delivering strength and durability while helping make construction more respectful of the environment. It is another key step in our promise to build greener, smarter, and for all in the Philippines,” said Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian.