Innovation

Let us first go through the current scenario of construction around the world. Cement is the second-largest consumed product in the world after water. Also, cement accounts for 8% of the total global carbon emissions. Additionally, the bricks used in construction work are moulded and heated in kilns. These kilns produce gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which result in lung and respiratory diseases.

This is where GreenJams comes in. It constantly strives to produce construction materials which reduce the carbon footprint. In 2019, it made the world's strongest hempcrete. It is a mixture of hemp, a herb explicitly produced for industrial use, lime and sand. Due to its enhanced properties in construction work, hemp is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. Unfortunately, hempcrete is not officially recognised in India.

GreenJams has created Agrocrete, a one-of-its-kind building material which is carbon negative. Agrocrete is made from crop residues which would otherwise be burnt. It is durable, light in weight and absorbs carbon from the environment. Incorporating Agrocrete also reduces the time required for construction. Agrocrete uses a revolutionary binder, BINDR, which has better stickiness than cement.

GreenJams

Inspiration

"My biggest dream is to reduce global carbon emissions by 10% and when you have a dream this big, it pushes you."

When Mr Tarun Jami, one of the co-founders of GreenJams was a student at IIT- Roorkee, he came across an issue of pollution in the construction segment. He read as well as wrote research papers regarding the use of crop residues in manufacturing construction materials.
Delhi a nearby area to Roorkee has a major issue of air pollution attributed to the burning of crop residue by farmers in nearby states. Thus, using that crop residue to make something as good as a carbon-negative material and making a strong structure out of it for the first time was the biggest motivation for the founder to take this idea forward and change the dynamics of the construction industry forever.
"In 2017, I had two options – choose a corporate career or pursue my passion. I chose the latter and established GreenJams with a vision to create a beautiful carbon-neutral built environment, and committed to bringing Hempcrete to the Indian construction industry. When I made my first sale, it was the biggest high for me, deriving that positive satisfaction from clients like ITC and the common man alike is the biggest satisfaction."
The value addition in the customer's life that he is doing something good for the environment pushes the firm to do better every day.

"Every day is one baby step" is what Mr Tarun abides by.

Overall impact

The innovation of GreenJams has benefited all the stakeholders in the product chain in the short term. The farmers can sell their crop residue without burning it at a reasonable price. Thus, the organization helps in uplifting farmers' lives.
The masons and workers involved in the construction were able to complete the work in less time and more efficiently.
The customers are satisfied with contributing to the environment and creating a positive impact.
The nearby people can breathe less polluted air and get some relief.

In the long term, innovations like Agrocrete is a boon for the whole world. Considering the ever-increasing population numbers the demand for housing and infrastructure, in general, will be at an all-time high level. Using green blocks in all of the construction worldwide will give the world new lungs and make it better to live in for future generations.

Business benefit

In today's carbon-intensive construction block industry, Agrocrete is a rare find since it offers outstanding thermal performance and no environmental effect. These extremely tough blocks, which are constructed of agricultural leftovers, are made to be resilient. It has the potential to be a genuine substitute for traditional concrete blocks because to its competitive metrics and price point.

Agrocrete offers excellent masonry quality, finishing, and construction speed. The bonding with mortar is also quite good. As opposed to red bricks, which would require 10–11 days to complete, the project was completed in 4 days only. Masons are ready to collaborate with Agrocrete in the future.

BINDR's stickiness appeals more to masons than traditional cement does. Compared to cement plaster, the plaster created using BINDR seems to adhere to the wall better. They are also able to create a simple, plain finish quickly and easily.

Agrocrete, is a pretty intriguing product! One of the first environmentally friendly building material innovations to truly displace burned clay brick as a common building material in India.

Masons highly appreciate the clearly defined blocks and the neat stonework. The fewer mortar joints allow for quicker work. It certainly outperforms clay bricks.

Social and environmental benefit

Construction work amounts to 45% of the total carbon emissions on the Earth. Enter Agrocrete, an award-winning, world's first carbon-neutral building block. Traditional bricks are made by moulding clay, drying and then burning the bricks. Burning bricks in large kilns emit gases like sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which harm humans and the environment. However, Agrocrete is made from crop residues. In India, there is an enormous problem of burning crop residues to clean the farms for sowing the next crop. Not only does Agrocrete solve the problem of burning crop residue, but it also omits the brick kilns from the equation, thus making their product carbon-negative.

The design of the Agrocrete blocks is hollow, making them significantly lighter in weight than the traditional bricks. The shape and size of these carbon-negative blocks are in line with conventional bricks, thus making them compatible to be used in construction work. They provide significantly higher thermal insulation at half the cost. Additionally, the strength of Agrocrete is also comparable to conventional bricks.

Agrocrete is also user-friendly. Masons using Agrocrete find it to be strong and durable. The time taken to complete construction work is significantly reduced due to the use of this carbon-negative material. There is an estimated reduction of thirty-three percent in the cost of construction.

We see numerous cases worldwide wherein floods and droughts occur relatively frequently. Calamities like these are a wake-up call to all of us to tweak our habits and start living differently by taking care of our environment. As we advance, using sustainable products is a lucrative opportunity for us to do our bit for the environment and help future generations of humanity live in peace. Agrocrete and GreenJams incorporate precisely that.

Interview

Mr. Tarun Jami, Founder, GreenJams