Environment
  • Send to
  • Print
  • Feedback
Back to "Environment"

Preserving resources

Lafarge has defined 2 objectives with regard to the preservation of natural resources: reducing consumption and finding alternative solutions.

Recycling and using alternative products

Wherever the necessary infrastructures exist, Lafarge:

  • recycles construction materials,
  • replaces natural resources with by-products from other industries,
  • replaces fossil fuels with nontoxic alternative fuels, such as biomass and industrial and agricultural waste.

Lafarge is thus committed to an industrial ecology approach.

 

The Group is committed to limiting the use of natural resources in all of its operations. Recycled materials already account for:

  • more than 10% of the raw materials consumed in the production of cement,
  • more than 50% of the raw materials used to manufacture plasterboard,
  • 50% of the raw materials used for the production of concrete and aggregates.
Use of pozzolan and alternative fuels, Uganda

Recycling

Some examples

  • Gypsum: a large part of the raw materials are replaced with building and demolition waste. Synthetic gypsum is used more than 50% of the time.
  • Cement: 11% of the raw materials used are alternative materials: slag (residual impurities from steel industry blast furnaces) and fly ash (the main waste product from coal-fired power plants).
Cement Business and industrial ecology

Conserving water

In 2009, with the renewal of its WWF partnership, Lafarge integrated water in its 5 main commitment with the development of a better understanding of the Group's water consumption to better reduce it.

 

Through the partnership, Lafarge:

  • maps sites located in areas of water scarcity and measures their water footprint,
  • reduces its water consumption,
  • preserves fragile wetlands,
  • recycles water by collecting washing and cooling water.


In 2009, water recycling systems are already installed at:

  • 83% of cement sites (vs. 77% in 2008),
  • 75% of concrete and aggregates sites (vs. 74% in 2008),
  • 68% of gypsum sites (vs. 65% in 2008).
  • Partnership with WWF
  • Sustainable construction
  • Environmental case studies

Water and building materials

How much water for each material?
Water is an essential element in cement, concrete and gypsum manufacturing. On average, Lafarge uses:

  • 284 liters of water to produce 1 m³ of concrete,
  • 343 liters for 1 ton of cement,
  • 6.02 liters for 1 m² of plasterboard.

Last update on 06/23/2010

Environmental challenges

  • Send to
  • Print
  • Feedback
Back to "Environment"
Back to top
2010 international year of biodiversity and Logo WWF and Lafarge

Lafarge takes a strong partnership approach, notably with the WWF, to protect biodiversity.

Lafarge and biodiversity
Lafarge on Facebook (new window) Lafarge on Facebook
Like