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Civil Engineer Upcycles Stubble into Carbon-Negative Bricks; Reduces Construction Cost

Tarun Jami from Visakhapatnam started Green Jams, a company that creates Agrocrete, an alternative to concrete, from agricultural waste and industrial byproducts. Watch to know why.

Civil Engineer Upcycles Stubble into Carbon-Negative Bricks; Reduces Construction Cost

Did you know if cement were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of CO2?

The walls in our homes are a big contributor to climate change because cement emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The main problem lies in the process of its production.

Raw materials such as limestone and clay are mixed with iron and ash and fed to cylindrical kilns at around 1,450 degrees Celsius. This splits the mixture into calcium oxide and CO2, giving us Clinker. This is then cooled, mixed with gypsum and limestone, and sent to concrete companies.

However, civil engineer Tarun Jami from Visakhapatnam found a way around it. In 2017, he started a social enterprise called Green Jams. They create carbon-negative building materials from agricultural biomass and hemp blocks.

It was on a trip to smog-laden Delhi when Tarun found out that stubble burning contributed 44% to Delhi’s poor air quality. As a solution, he created Agrocrete using agricultural residue like stubble and industrial byproducts.

The product is made of upcycled material and can reduce construction costs by 50%, and increase thermal insulation by 50%, says Tarun. These blocks are 30% lighter making them easier for construction workers to carry.

“It is time we start to repair the damage done to the environment and restore ecosystems for the well-being of the planet, and subsequently humans. We need to start thinking in terms of life cycle impacts and find alternatives,” says Tarun.

Want to know more about Tarun and his venture? Watch this video:

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Edited by Pranita Bhat

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