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The incomplete packaging solution!

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As per a study conducted, on an average, a sack would have eight to nine hook marks by the time it reaches the destination. These hook marks further lead to cement losses, thus making the working conditions of the workers from bad to worse, writes Madhvi Lijhara.

Packaging is a very generic term that has been in existence for ages now. Man has used packaging since times unknown for storage, protection, handling and so on. The ways were quite crude but served their purpose well. With the advancement of time and technology, the purpose of packaging also changed, the ways changed, the materials change and it changed the mindsets too.

Today packaging has a much bigger role to play and satisfy much higher expectations of the consumers, marketeers, manufacturers and others in the supply chain. It’s not just about protecting the goods, giving ease of storage, handling, increasing the life of the product, but also serves as a mode of communication between the manufacturer and the consumer, between the marketer and the buyer. It talks about how to use the product, why to buy the product, why to buy that particular brand, price to pay; when was that particular product manufactured and by when to use. It also takes care of the government regulations and ensures on quality and quantity of the product to the user.

Besides the above mentioned attributes of packaging, we all forget a very important aspect of packaging and that is its contribution to "environment sustainability". In India at large the cement is packed in WPP sacks. The woven polypropylene fabric, PP is a kind of thermoplastic resin material that is produced by the polymerisation of propylene. The weave in two directions of the PP threads gives the strength to the fabric, its light weight and strong enough to carry weight of cement which is high density. The pores in the weave have a role to play – while cement filling, these pores help the air to escape from the sack preventing the bursting of the sacks. But at the same time these pores also lead to cement loss at various junctures of the journey from the factory to the point of use.

On an average, from one kg to 500 grams of cement is lost while in transit. At times the loss can be even more depending on the number of hands it exchanges. This cement lost is not just an economic value lost for the user or manufacturer but it actually leads to much more intangible loss, the loss of cement particles into the environment, polluting the the air we breathe in. It’s a surprising fact that the air quality inside the cement plant is much better than the place of storage of the cement or the place of use of the cement, and the major reason is the way cement is packed. Every time the sack is moved from one place to another it leads to cement loss, so much so that the branding, printing or any information printed on eth sack becomes invisible due to a cement dust layer on the sack. Thus the way in which cement is packed destroys all the attributes of packaging.

These pores also give easy way to the moisture in the air to penetrate inside the sack and thus reducing the shelf life of the product. Cement is hygroscopic and attracts water from the atmosphere to set . Thus the purpose of protection and increasing the shelf life is defeated.

The labourers use iron hooks for loading and unloading of cement sacks even though its banned as per the government directives. As per a study conducted, on an average, a sack would have eight to nine hook marks on the sacks. These hook marks further lead to cement losses thus making the working conditions of the workers from bad to worse.

Even worse is the recycling of the cement sack, although PP is recyclable but a major issue is that the cement is all stuck in the pores of the sack and therefore the sacks cannot be recycled easily. The sack needs to be absolutely clean to be recycled. Another issue is with the collection of the empty cement WPP sacks; there is no defined process under which the cement sacks are collected after the use and taken to recycling plant. In most of the cases these sacks land up into "land-fills". The end of the "product life cycle" of a WPP cement sack is very unfriendly to our environment.

It can be concluded that the way cement is packed in India is actually an "incomplete packaging solution". All the aspects of packaging are defeated when cement is packed in WPP. It neither protects the material, neither increases the shelf life, nor does it increase the brand value; in nutshell it serves no purpose of packaging other than holding the material together and giving it a partial ease of handling; a 50 kg bag with dead weight is really tough to handle. The only driving factor for WPP sacks is the price of the sacks. But the irony is that only the "price per sack" is considered and not the "actual cost of packing" is considered. The actual cost should include the wastage in transit, its contribution to air pollution and its impact on the health of the workers. Even though the industry would agree with this but very little efforts have been made to give a sustainable packaging solution for cement. It’s the need of the hour that we look at creating more cement packaging options that justify all the attributes of packaging including the environment sustainability aspect and improved working conditions of the laborers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Madhvi Lijhara,
a paper and packaging specialist, is an economics graduate from Delhi university and a post graduate in Marketing management from Lucknow University. She has worked with paper and allied companies like APP India, Thomson Press, Ballarpur Industries (BILT) and BillerudKorsnas AB. While on the job, she has been closely associated with various cement companies promoting paper sacks for cement packaging in India. She can be contacted on: madhvi@hotmail.com

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Concrete

India Sets Up First Carbon Capture Testbeds for Cement Industry

Five CCU testbeds launched to decarbonise cement production

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The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled a pioneering national initiative: five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.
This is a significant step towards India’s Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and to achieve net zero decarbonisation pathways for Industry Transition., towards the Government’s goal to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.
Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) holds significant importance in hard-to-abate sectors like Cement, Steel, Power, Oil &Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers in reducing emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes and converting it to value add products such as synthetic fuels, Urea, Soda, Ash, chemicals, food grade CO2 or concrete aggregates. CCU provides a feasible pathway for these tough to decarbonise industries to lower their carbon footprint and move towards achieving Net Zero Goals while continuing their operations efficiently. DST has taken major strides in fostering R&D in the CCUS domain.
Concrete is vital for India’s economy and the Cement industry being one of the main hard-to-abate sectors, is committed to align with the national decarbonisation commitments. New technologies to decarbonise emission intensity of the cement sector would play a key role in achieving of national net zero targets.
Recognizing the critical need for decarbonising the Cement sector, the Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST) Division of Department launched a unique call for mobilising Academia-Industry Consortia proposals for deployment of Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) in Cement Sector. This Special call envisaged to develop and deploy innovative CCU Test bed in Cement Sector with thrust on Developing CO2 capture + CO2 Utilisation integrated unit in an Industrial set up through an innovative Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding model.
As a unique initiative and one of its first kind in India, DST has approved setting up of five CCU testbeds for translational R&D, to be set up in Academia-Industry collaboration under this significant initiative of DST in PPP mode, engaging with premier research laboratories as knowledge partners and top Cement companies as the industry partner.
On the occasion of National Technology Day celebrations, on May 11, 2025 the 5 CCU Cement Test beds were announced and grants had been handed over to the Test bed teams by the Chief Guest, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh in the presence of Secretary DST Prof. Abhay Karandikar.
The five testbeds are not just academic experiments — they are collaborative industrial pilot projects bringing together India’s top research institutions and leading cement manufacturers under a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Each testbed addresses a different facet of CCU, from cutting-edge catalysis to vacuum-based gas separation.
The outcomes of this innovative initiative will not only showcase the pathways of decarbonisation towards Net zero goals through CCU route in cement sector, but should also be a critical confidence building measure for potential stakeholders to uptake the deployed CCU technology for further scale up and commercialisation.
It is envisioned that through continuous research and innovation under these test beds in developing innovative catalysts, materials, electrolyser technology, reactors, and electronics, the cost of Green Cement via the deployed CCU technology in Cement Sector may considerably be made more sustainable.
Secretary DBT Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Dr Ajai Choudhary, Co-Founder HCL, Dr. Rajesh Pathak, Secretary, TDB, Dr Anita Gupta Head CEST, DST and Dr Neelima Alam, Associate Head, DST were also present at the programme organized at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

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Concrete

JK Lakshmi Adopts EVs to Cut Emissions in Logistics

Electric vehicles deployed between JK Puram and Kalol units

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JK Lakshmi Cement, a key player in the Indian cement industry, has announced the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in its logistics operations. This move, made in partnership with SwitchLabs Automobiles, will see EVs transporting goods between the JK Puram Plant in Sirohi, Rajasthan, and the Kalol Grinding Unit in Gujarat.
The announcement follows a successful pilot project that showcased measurable reductions in carbon emissions while maintaining efficiency. Building on this, the company is scaling up EV integration to enhance sustainability across its supply chain.
“Sustainability is integral to our vision at JK Lakshmi Cement. Our collaboration with SwitchLabs Automobiles reflects our continued focus on driving innovation in our logistics operations while taking responsibility for our environmental footprint. This initiative positions us as a leader in transforming the cement sector’s logistics landscape,” said Arun Shukla, President & Director, JK Lakshmi Cement.
This deployment marks a significant step in aligning with India’s push for greener transport infrastructure. By embracing clean mobility, JK Lakshmi Cement is setting an example for the industry, demonstrating that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with operational efficiency.
The company continues to embed sustainability into its operations as part of a broader goal to reduce its carbon footprint. This initiative adds to its vision of building a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
JK Lakshmi Cement, part of the 135-year-old JK Organisation, began operations in 1982 and has grown to become a recognised name in Indian cement. With a presence across Northern, Western, and Eastern India, the company has a cement capacity of 16.5 MTPA, with a target to reach 30 MT by 2030. Its product range includes ready-mix concrete, gypsum plaster, wall putty, and autoclaved aerated fly ash blocks.

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Concrete

Holcim UK drives sustainable construction

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Holcim UK has released a report titled ‘Making Sustainable Construction a Reality,’ outlining its five-fold commitment to a greener future. The company aims to focus on decarbonisation, circular economy principles, smarter building methods, community engagement, and integrating nature. Based on a survey of 2,000 people, only 41 per cent felt urban spaces in the UK are sustainably built. A significant majority (82 per cent) advocated for more green spaces, 69 per cent called for government leadership in sustainability, and 54 per cent saw businesses as key players. Additionally, 80 per cent of respondents stressed the need for greater transparency from companies regarding their environmental practices.

Image source:holcim

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