APA-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) – LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire, the Ivorian subsidiary of the Holcim Group, a world leader in innovative and sustainable construction solutions, is committed to the circular economy through the recycling of its polypropylene bags, which account for 4 percent of its packaging.
With a view to integrating its polypropylene bags into a sustainable production process, the subsidiary has just initiated a framework contract for recycling waste from its administrative and industrial activities with Grafica Ivoire, a company specialising in waste recycling.
The aim of this partnership is to transform its used polypropylene bags into various products, including school kits, thereby helping to promote the circular economy. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic resin obtained by polymerising propylene monomer using catalysts.
Prior to the implementation of the framework contract for the recycling of its waste by Grafica Ivoire, LafargeHolcim had launched a pilot sanitation programme in November 2023 at the Vridi 3 School Group, in the south of Abidjan, in collaboration with the NGO ‘Moi Jeu Tri’.
The aim of the programme is to train teachers and pupils, and through them parents, to adopt environmentally responsible practices by collecting, sorting and recycling waste (paper, plastic and metal).
The metal, paper and plastic waste collected is also sold to recycling centres to be transformed into various products (slates, pens, etc.).
Polypropylene bags accounted for 4% of the packaging used by LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire by the end of 2023.
To date, 1,398 schoolchildren have been made aware of waste sorting and 12 sorting bins have been installed in schools, marking the implementation of a waste collection and recovery system in Côte d’Ivoire. More than 500 kg of waste has been sorted in 20 collections since December 2023.
These initiatives demonstrate LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire’s commitmentc to complying with the environmental regulations in force in the country, thereby contributing to the practice of sustainable development.
On 14 May 2019, the State of Côte d’Ivoire authorised the packaging of cement in kraft paper bags and polypropylene bags.
Since the decree was issued, more than 200 million polypropylene bags have been used by cement manufacturers.
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