Geocycle launches in Uganda

Geocycle has been launched in Uganda with the aim of providing a solution to waste management to LafargeHolcim group company Hima Cement, local media report.

Under the Geocycle brand, LafargeHolcim offers waste management services in more than 50 countries around the world. “Our promise is to offer a superior solution to disposing off waste in landfills. Geocycle will collect, segregate and incinerate waste in cement kilns of Hima Cement Ltd, in a partnership that is set to deliver a 'zero-waste' future for Uganda," said Israel Tinkasimiire, the Geocycle country manager, at the launch event in Kampala.

Geocycle aims to provide the entire waste management process from collection, transportation, segregation, auditing, as well as disposal in a process that does not require waste to be disposed-off in landfills.

“Geocycle will collect waste directly from municipalities, industries, oil and agricultural companies, pre-process it in its waste management platforms and co-process (or reuse) in the cement kilns. Currently, Geocycle collects, segregates and incinerates agricultural waste in the Hima cement kilns,” the Daily Monitor (Uganda) quoted Mr Tinkasimiire as saying.

Speaking at the launch, Daniel Pettersson, the Hima Cement country CEO, said: “For almost 10 years now, Hima Cement plant has been using biomass to fuel its cement kilns and dryer. These include coffee husks, rice husks, bagasse, palm kernels and sawdust which acts as a replacement for fossil fuels. Today, over half of the thermal energy for the kiln comes from biomass rather than heavy furnace oil which means a reduction in CO2 emissions by 70,000t annually.”