Sustainability

Sustainability is the driving force for our company. We do not see landfills as IBA's final destination; we see new beginnings. Blue Phoenix Group transforms the seemingly unrecyclable into usable materials. With our state-of-the-art technology, we are building a sustainable future. 

Why we do it

Climate change is a challenge that requires a systemic transformation from governments, industries, and consumers alike. The European Union aims to become climate-neutral by 2050 by transforming its current economy into a resource-efficient and circular economy. A massive reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) across industries is required. Of key interest is the concrete industry, which contributes to 5-8% of the annual CO₂ emissions, mainly caused by the production of cement as a binder. The concrete industry has the target to reduce 40% of their CO₂ emissions by 2030 and 80- 95% by 2050. The development of alternative binders is a top priority of the industry. It can lead to a significant reduction in GHG emissions from resource extraction, processing, and transport.

LIFE MIBA FILLER demonstrates a climate-change mitigation technology with the potential to reduce GHG emissions, biodiversity loss, and land-use change across three sectors: the concrete, metal, and waste industries.

Half of the emissions from the concrete sector are related to the production of cement as a binder. This process requires massive amounts of limestone and energy for clinker calcination.

In the European Union, 19 million tonnes of IBA are produced annually and expected to increase to 25-30 million tonnes in 2025. Currently, 70% of IBA is disposed on a landfill. LIFE MIBA FILLER enables a shift from landfilling of municipal solid waste and bottom ash to producing a binder with a lower environmental footprint than cement. It is an example of a climate change mitigation technology that facilitates growth and urbanization but at a lower environmental cost than cement. 

References

1. Circle Economy, 2021. The Circularity Gap Report.
2. Eccles, R.G., Ioannou, I., Serafeim, G., 2014. The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance. Management Science 60, 2835–2857. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984
3. Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) - Overview - Ecochain [WWW Document], n.d. URL https://ecochain.com/knowledge/environmental-cost-indicator-eci/ (accessed 2.18.21).
4. Khan, M., Serafeim, G., Yoon, A., 2016. Corporate Sustainability: First Evidence on Materiality. The Accounting Review 91, 1697–1724. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-51383
5. Petersen, M., Brockhaus, S., 2017. Dancing in the dark: Challenges for product developers to improve and communicate product sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production 161, 345–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.127