Cement is one of the most important symbols of progress, development, and security for the country and one of the most widely used building materials in the world. Pacasmayoone of Peru's leading cement companies, in order to promote sustainable development in the local industry, launched the EcoSaco. This innovative packaging is broken down in the concrete mixing drum (on site) and its main advantages are summarized in the generation of less waste, reducing pollution and saving time and labor at the construction site.
"We have identified new consumption patterns in the market, they now prefer more responsible and, above all, purposeful brands. As a result of a study conducted in 2019, we identified that 40% of our consumers in the northern part of the country show interest in environmentally responsible products. Since then, we have been working on different solutions such as: constant improvement of our cement additives, subscription and support of the Green Building Council (NGO focused on the promotion of Sustainable Construction) and, finally, today we would like to present an initiative that will help manage waste more efficiently. Our new eco-friendly packaging, EcoSaco"mentioned Aldo Bertoli, Pacasmayo's central commercial manager.
In this way, Pacasmayo continues to reaffirm its commitment to the environment, demonstrating it on this occasion with its new packaging. The Ecosaco will initially be available in two well-known Pacasmayo brands: Fortimax (anti-saltpeter) and Extraforte, and will be progressively incorporated into the different markets in Trujillo, Pacasmayo, Cajamarca and Chimbote. As part of the benefits of the EcoSaco, master builders and self-builders will be able to obtain greater time savings in the work and will allow more than 70% of a house to be built in an environmentally friendly manner, without bag waste.
"As the packaging can be disintegrated, it allows the master builder to introduce the complete bag into the drum without the need to open it. Thus, the bag becomes part of the mix without generating residues and without affecting the quality or resistance of the work. The care that must be given to the EcoSaco is the same as that of a conventional bag, i.e., it must be stored in a dry place and protected from the weather".added Bertoli.
To use the EcoSaco correctly, it is necessary to mix water (approximately 50% of the total) and aggregates (sand and stone) in the drum according to the concrete design. Then, the EcoSaco (without opening the packaging) is introduced directly into the drum, which should be at least 340 liters. As a next step, the mixture is adjusted inside the drum with the remaining water, sand and stone. Finally, it is mixed until a homogeneous result is obtained, this process should take at least 7 minutes.
This initiative will also benefit the health of the construction workers by reducing exposure to cement dust when the bags are opened, making the work cleaner and more orderly. Finally, it will reduce the number of adulterated products in the market and the use of the bags for other activities.
"At Pacasmayo, we are committed to the social, environmental and economic development of our country. That is why we have the CREAS system, which allows us to contrast our actions in the market with the perception of our different stakeholders, in order to identify gaps and opportunities in sustainability. This is how EcoSaco, an environmentally friendly commercial initiative, was born. Promoting a more responsible construction industry," concludes Bertoli.
It is through this initiative that Pacasmayo, aligned with its purpose, continues to ratify its commitment to continue innovating with sustainable solutions that build the future for more Peruvians.
