Two South
African companies, Isowall and Crystal Concrete Works, recently partnered to
manufacture bricks through coal ash – proving that one man’s trash really is
another man’s treasure.
In response to the Gauteng Industrial Symbiosis Programme’s (GISP) call to eco-friendlier production, Isowall
and Crystal Concrete Works came together to find a cleaner solution to waste
management.
GISP is a
resource efficient approach where the unused or residual resources of one
company are used by another. This ‘recycling’ of resources typically results in
the mutual economic, social and environmental benefits for both companies
involved. Resources that are repurposed can include materials, energy, water,
assets, logistics, expert knowledge.
At face
value, Isowall and Crystal Concrete Works are very different companies.
Isowall, whose main factory is based in Pretoria, has been Africa’s leading
polystyrene and panel manufacturer since 1990. They mainly cater for the
insulation, construction, packaging, agricultural and automotive markets.
Crystal
Concrete Works, on the other hand, is an informal concrete product manufacturer
located in Mamelodi. Their sole product has been concrete pillars for building
and housing purposes, supplying local customers and one hardware store in
Waltloo.
Isowall
operates two coal fired boilers which produce bottom ash and four times a week,
two trucks are filled and used to dump this ash at a landfill site. The problem
with this is that coal ash contains toxins that can negatively impact both
humans and the environment. When coal ash is dumped, there is a high risk that
it spills over into ground or surface water. The challenge to Isowall was to
put their coal ash to some better use.
In 2018,
a symbiotic match was made between Isowall and Crystal Concrete Works to tackle
this problem of Isowall’s waste management. Ash from Isowall is now being
disposed of at Crystal Concrete Works where it’s used to make bricks. To date,
approximately 30 000 bricks have been manufactured using coal ash and three
people have gained a job through this partnership.
Through the GISP intervention, the synergy between Isowall and Crystal Concrete Works resulted in reduced waste disposal, reduced GHG emissions and economic upliftment for Crystal Concrete Works. A good news story for both the environment and the economy. https://www.fin24.com/PartnerContent/how-two-local-companies-have-taken-hands-to-become-an-eco-friendly-success-story-20190619
