Holcim Philippines launches green cement ECOPlanet

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% lower carbon footprint than other general purpose cement.

ECOPlanet is a global range of green cement developed by international building solutions leader Holcim Group. Holcim Philippines 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 40kg 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 Philippines 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.

Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian: “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.”

The launch of ECOPlanet is part of Holcim Philippines’ stronger focus on sustainability and innovation to raise business performance and increase positive social and environmental impact.

This year alone, Holcim Philippines has launched Aqua X, Multifix and AAC Block Adhesive, innovative building solutions that use less natural resources. The Company has also raised investments on new facilities to improve efficiency of operations and lessen use of traditional fuels in cement manufacturing.