Why do we humans tend to create so much waste? To a great extent, it has to do with our ignorance and also with the desire to not forgo our comfort. In a rush to satisfy our material needs, we are consuming natural resources at a faster rate than we allow them to replenish. The result is that we are producing more municipal solid waste, more industrial waste, more agricultural waste and more hazardous waste than we did three-four decades ago.
In fact, the amount of trash we produce is outpacing our population as well as our economic growth. Setting a standard for material comfort for everyone in society need not result in massive amounts of garbage being produced. Material comfort does not define the human development index. Waste should not be a by-product of development.
All is not gloom and doom though. With smart technologies and the right mindset, we can clean up the mess that we are creating and save our environment. A lot of work is being done to reduce waste through recycling and sustainable methods, and by creating buzz around the importance of a green economy and net-zero energy.
Turning waste into alternative resources is one of the ways to tackle this menace. Adani Cement’s waste management arm, Geoclean, is a leading provider of industrial, agricultural and municipal waste management services in the country. Waste materials like industrial sludges, liquids, expired goods, plastics, biomass, and segregated combustible fraction of municipal waste are diverted to its plants and converted into circular resources. Every year, Geoclean processes more than 10 lakh tons of waste across the country. Its facilities have specialized waste pre-treatment equipment, feeding setups, storage areas and state-of-the-art laboratories.
Co-processing in cement kiln ensures complete recovery of energy and recycling of mineral value inherent in waste, leaving no residue. This leads to conservation of natural resources and reduction of CO2 emissions from cement process, while providing sustainable waste management solutions to waste generators, contributing towards a circular economy.
Geoclean offers a wide range of waste management services, starting with assessment and consultation, continuing through laboratory analysis and waste characterization, logistics and waste preparation for final co-processing. It caters to over 800 customers across the country, primary clients being industrial and service companies, municipalities, and waste management firms. With careful planning and embracing necessary changes, we can transition towards a net-zero future. As the Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani believes “technology can bring about sustainability and the urgency of the climate crisis would spur digital and technology-driven solutions”.
