Concrete

Sustainable Cement Packaging Shift

Published

2 months ago

April 13, 2026

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This case study evaluates biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic cement packaging using advanced decision-making models. It highlights that while sustainable materials outperform environmentally, cost remains the biggest barrier to adoption.

The cement industry, a highly resource-intensive sector, continues to rely heavily on synthetic plastic packaging such as polypropylene bags, which account for nearly one-quarter of global cement packaging and generate 1.2–1.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually from over 30 billion bags. These materials persist for centuries, contributing to landfill overflow, marine pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in emerging economies where recycling rates remain below 10 per cent and waste management systems are underdeveloped. This growing environmental burden has accelerated the need for sustainable alternatives aligned with circular economy principles.
To address this challenge, the study evaluates biodegradable packaging options such as cornstarch-based materials, cellulose derivatives, jute, and sisal using an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework. By combining Entropy and CRITIC weighting methods with TOPSIS, VIKOR and PROMETHEE II ranking models, the research assesses materials across key parameters including biodegradability, recyclability, lifecycle impact, durability, and cost efficiency. This structured approach enables a balanced comparison between environmental benefits and industrial feasibility.
The findings consistently identify cornstarch-based packaging as the top-performing alternative, delivering approximately 25 per cent to 30 per cent better performance on biodegradability and lifecycle indicators compared to other materials. It ranked first across multiple evaluation methods due to its strong environmental profile and balanced performance across criteria, followed by cotton and jute, while cellulose-based plastics performed poorly due to high costs and limited biodegradability effectiveness.
However, the study highlights a critical barrier: cost dominance in decision-making. Using the Entropy method, cost received the highest weight (0.651), more than 50 times higher than strength (0.013), clearly indicating that economic considerations outweigh environmental benefits in material selection. Even with the CRITIC method, cost remained the most influential factor (0.265), reinforcing that financial feasibility is the primary constraint preventing large-scale adoption of biodegradable packaging in the cement industry.
The research concludes that while biodegradable packaging offers strong potential to reduce environmental impact and support circular economy goals, widespread adoption will depend on policy support and economic incentives. Measures such as subsidies, tax benefits and regulatory clarity are essential to bridge the gap between sustainability goals and operational realities, ensuring that packaging transitions contribute not only to immediate efficiency but also to long-term environmental responsibility and intergenerational justice.

This case study by Mehedi Hasan Shanta, Tasfia Tanha, Md. Mustaqim Roshid, Roman Meinhold, Ricardo Marcão, Vasco Santos, Filipa Martinho and Abdul Waaje, appears in the journal ‘Discover Sustainability,’ which is an open-access academic journal published by Springer Nature.

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Shree Cement Targets Above Industry Volume Growth In FY27

Chairman says firm will favour organic expansion and higher dividends

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2026

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Shree Cement expects to outpace the industry in the financial year 2026-27 as it pursues organic expansion and pricing discipline following a recent investor conference. The chairman said the company has completed a pricing realignment and recovered volumes lost during that exercise. Management signalled a clear preference for internal investments rather than acquisitions to support growth.

The company reported that capacity additions and demand growth across core markets are expected to underpin stronger volume performance, with a target of growing volumes at around 1.1 times the industry growth rate. Cash levels are likely to decline as capital expenditure progresses and shareholder distributions increase, the chairman indicated. The board has prioritised higher dividends over a buyback as a means of reducing excess cash.

Shree Cement described a market shift towards value and affordability rather than a race to the lowest price, which links demand expansion more closely with pricing. Historically, prices have risen at around three per cent annually over long periods, the company noted, and while prices may increase faster this year because of cost pressures from geopolitical tensions, a material improvement in industry profitability is not anticipated. In North India, the company expects additional capacity to be absorbed as demand grows, estimating a requirement of roughly 10 million (mn) tonne (t) of incremental demand annually.

The next phase of expansion will focus on the north, west, east and northeast regions, with existing projects and planned capacities viewed as sufficient to meet future demand without pursuing acquisitions. Management said it has already regained lost volumes while sustaining higher prices and will continue to monitor regional opportunities, including a possible investment in West Bengal pending clarity on industrial policy. The company, which has a current market capitalisation of Rs 852,948.9 mn, has seen its shares lose more than 20 per cent over the past year.

Concrete

Ramco Cements’ Hard Worker Campaign Wins Seven Awards

Campaign earns honours for direction, editing and cinematography

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2026

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The Hard Worker campaign by The Ramco Cements has secured seven honours at the Good Ads Matter Awards 2026, adding to its growing list of accolades and reinforcing its standing among the year’s most recognised advertising campaigns.

The awards were presented during the Good Ads Matter Awards Night 2026 held at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. The campaign received recognition across multiple categories, highlighting excellence in direction, editing, cinematography and storytelling.

Among the honours, the campaign won Silver in the Campaign of the Year – Direction category, while filmmaker Prakash Varma was named Director of the Year for the films Tortoise & Hare and Eco Plaster. Tortoise & Hare also received Silver awards for Best Editing and Best Colour Grading, along with a Bronze award for Best Cinematography. Eco Plaster earned Bronze awards in the Best Direction – Narrative and Best Direction – Humour categories.

Both films extended their award-winning run, with Eco Plaster being recognised for its narrative centred on water conservation through innovative construction solutions, while Tortoise & Hare was honoured for its storytelling and craft execution.

The Hard Worker campaign was built around the idea that hard work deserves recognition and respect. Through culturally rooted and emotionally engaging stories, the campaign has connected with consumers, engineers, masons and the wider construction community across the country.

Commenting on the achievement, A V Dharmakrishnan, CEO of The Ramco Cements Limited, said that the continued recognition across leading creative platforms reflects the company’s commitment to meaningful and authentic communication rooted in the values of the people it serves.

Balaji K Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, The Ramco Cements Limited, said the awards recognise the craftsmanship behind the storytelling, from direction and cinematography to editing and narrative execution.

Following recognition at both the Kyoorius Creative Awards and the Good Ads Matter Awards, the Hard Worker campaign continues to demonstrate the impact of purpose-driven storytelling combined with strong creative execution and consumer relevance.

Concrete

Cement Makers Reaffirm Commitment to Sustainable Growth

Published

2 weeks ago

June 5, 2026

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World Environment Day spotlight on innovation and circularity

On World Environment Day, the Indian cement industry reiterated its commitment to supporting India’s climate ambitions through sustainable manufacturing, resource efficiency and the adoption of cleaner technologies.

The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) said the sector remains aligned with the Government of India’s Net Zero commitments and is accelerating efforts to reduce its environmental footprint while supporting the country’s infrastructure and development agenda.

Parth Jindal, President, CMA and Managing Director, JSW Cement, said the industry is increasingly adopting cleaner technologies, improving energy efficiency and expanding the use of alternative fuels and raw materials. He also highlighted the growing importance of circular economy practices, where industrial by-products and waste streams from one sector are utilised as resources in another.

“The Indian Cement Industry is aligned to the Government’s commitments on carbon mitigation and is accelerating the adoption of cleaner technologies, resource efficiency and circular economy practices while actively exploring the potential of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as a critical pathway for deep decarbonisation,” said Jindal.

He added that coprocessing industrial waste and by-products helps conserve natural resources, reduce disposal requirements and lower the environmental footprint across multiple sectors.

According to Jindal, sustainability is no longer limited to manufacturing processes but is increasingly influencing investment decisions, innovation strategies and long-term growth plans within the industry.

Echoing similar views, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Vice President, CMA and Managing Director, JK Cement, said sustainable development extends beyond emissions reduction and must also focus on responsible resource utilisation and waste minimisation.

“Sustainability in the built environment cannot be measured by emissions alone. It is equally about how efficiently we use resources, how effectively we minimise waste and how responsibly we create the infrastructure that will serve future generations,” said Singhania.

He noted that the cement industry is advancing its sustainability agenda through greater resource efficiency, increased circularity, technological innovation and continuous improvements in manufacturing practices. As a key contributor to India’s infrastructure development, the sector has a critical role to play in balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, industry leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting India’s climate goals while delivering the materials required for resilient, durable and sustainable infrastructure.