Innovation

This company is working with more and more eco-friendly products each day. One of their more sustainable products is “Eco-quin.” As the interviewee explained, this product has holes that are filled with dirt and cemented after. This product looks really nice since it is not the normal color for cement but a greenish color.

Also, something that differentiates this company from others, is the way they build their bricks. Instead of using smoke emitting ovens, they purely use carbon burning ovens that don’t do that much harm to the environment. By implementing this change on the production, they are helping the environment and communities become more sustainable.

It is worth noting that although cement production is one of the biggest carbon emitters: “concrete is the most commonly used of all the building materials in the world due to its unique advantages compared to other materials. The main reasons for its fame are because concrete has excellent mechanical feature and affordable” [1]

We can see the correlation between having an affordable material with unique advantages over other materials. It still should be looked at as a not so sustainable material, but how can it be used while not doing harm to the environment?

SDG 9: El Salvador is a country that suffers from low economic growth and poverty reduction has not been great in the past years. SDG 9, specifically target 9.5, states to enhance the research and upgrade industrial technologies, in particular, in developing countries. By designing the Eco-block the company upgraded the industrial technologies in San Salvador, which could be seen as a developing country.

SDG 11: The design of the Eco-block allows for more green spaces inside a city, which leads to a better quality of life by providing more oxygen, reducing the noise substantially and enhancing the biodiversity. These extra green spaces also allow for less temperature rise in the city, which is especially important in a country like San Salvador.

Inspiration

What mainly inspired the development of these eco-cobblestones was the demand in the market for a more green-look, primarily in patios. Seeing as though none of the competitors had implemented an eco-friendly alternative to the market, this innovative idea skyrocketed at first but then declined a little due to the impertinence it became for women when walking between the holes in the cobblestone using heels. Nonetheless because of its innovation and great look overall, it is a success for the company altogether.

Overall impact

PREFASA strives to make construction less contaminating. In a country with so much greenlife like El Salvador, companies’ ambitions are deteriorating the country’s rich verdurous landscapes that characterizes it. Most third world countries have most commercial and touristic projects in or near the capital which is why PREFASA is situated at the heart of the country to best allocate their revolutionary resources. With their eco-block they cracked the code for a consumer-producer win-win situation. The eco-block, since it is made of less concrete, is an overall less costly product while offering a greener and more appealing look with the obvious benefit of contributing to the environment. Although most consumers appropriate this innovation in their homes, PREFASA is striving for big corporations to appreciate their product appropriately. Specifically, the company is making an impact by reducing the overall production and demand for concrete. This lets the ground breathe and for greenery to flourish.

Business benefit

One of the first benefits is reducing operating costs, and expenses, while being more eco-friendly. It is also beneficial for the company to reduce costs so they can increase profits.

Also, this company has gained more and more customers since this generation prefers a more sustainable outlook on the things they purchase. It is highly beneficial for the company to have a positive image because people prefer a company that is conscious of the environment. Giving to the company a more wide market of clients.

Nevertheless, it is noticeable that it is more costly to implement the green areas in this company, however for the workers, the ambiance is way better. It makes them feel in a nicer environment, while increasing their productivity since they have more energy to work. This company gives employees the opportunity to work in a more sustainable and greener environment.

Social and environmental benefit

What sets apart the ecological cobblestones is their structure, they’re built with; gaps in between them to allow green life to flutter in between the material. With normal cobblestones, the grass and other plants are kept without direct sunlight and encapsulated in an airtight space. This corroborates the need for eco-friendly cobblestones, to promote greenlife and ensure the well being of the environment. The implementation of the product at hand has not only accentuated homes, but also serves as a necessary gadget to promote eco-friendly alternatives to everyday products, not only in the construction industry but in businesses all around El Salvador. The impact this innovation has on society is not purely environmental but it sets a record, a precedent, for developing companies to look beyond what's expected or common; to take it a step further and innovate whenever they get the chance.

Interview

Moisés Castro Maceda, Director/Vice President with focus on the financial area