Holcim Philippines’s waste management unit Geocycle recently signed a deal to provide its services to tobacco processor Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc. (ULPI). ULPI will send close to 750 tons of tobacco stems per month from its Agoo, La Union operations to Holcim’s plant in Bacnotan where those will be used as a substitute to traditional fuels in making cement in a method called co-processing. This repurposes discarded materials from various industries into alternative fuels and raw materials using a cement kiln. Through co-processing, Holcim reduces its use of fossil fuels and provides public and private sector partners a sustainable waste management option. At the signing were Environmental Management Bureau–Region I director Ma. Victoria V. Abrera; Geocycle technical manager Jon Alan Cuyno; ULPI vice president for finance Febelyn Martinez; and vice president for internal operations Ronel S. Montebon. Also there were Holcim La Union plant manager Erano Santos; Geocycle head for the Philippines Frederic Vallatl; and Geocycle regional head for Asia Berthold Kren.
