Construction company, cement firm form eco-friendly partnership

MANILA, Philippines — Environmentally conscious construction company Green Antz Builders has gotten the support of local cement firm Republic Cement for the manufacture of ecobricks made of cement and shredded plastic trash.

The two companies also brought in the participation of a barangay in Teresa, Rizal, where an Ecobrick Hub was recently launched.

The hub will not only reduce the carbon footprint of Barangay Prinza but also provide livelihood for residents.

The Teresa Eco-Brick Hub can produce more than 20,000 bricks a month, disposing of almost half a ton of plastic laminates in the process. 

Green Antz is known for its ecobricks made from a mixture of cement and shredded plastic laminates such as sachets and other  residual plastic that have no value and are no longer recyclable. 

Not only are ecobricks five times stronger than regular hollow blocks, they also cost less on a per square meter basis. 

More importantly, each ecobrick disposes of about 100 pieces of shredded sachets in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner. 

“We are proud to have our first community hub in partnership with our first corporate partner, Republic Cement. Our mission is aligned with each other – to create a sustainable and environmentally responsible community,” said engineer Rommel Benig, president of Green Antz Builders.

Lawyer Anda Bolinas, Republic Cement sustainability director, said the success of the business initiative was largely dependent on waste segregation and management. 

“The partnership came naturally between Republic Cement and Green Antz,” said Bolinas.“Barangay Prinza already had a good waste management system in place, the Ecobrick Hub is a good addition to extend our support to the barangay.”

The Philippines is ranked third among the world’s top plastic polluters of the ocean. According to a recent study done by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, the Philippines generates 2.7 million metric tons of plastic garbage each year, 20 percent of which end up in oceans.