UK Cement Industry Sets Pace for Environmental Improvement

An audit from the 2011 production year reveals that the cement industry in the United Kingdom has managed to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide, various nitrogen oxides, and dust. It did show a slight rise in the emissions of sulphur dioxide, but manufactures speculate it is due to the expected instabilities in the components of quarried stone.

Manufacturers in the UK branch of the cement industry had agreed to sign on with a plan built by the Environment Agency in order to improve their emissions from 2005 to 2010. It seems as though they have opted to keep up with the improvements in performance since then. As a matter of fact, they have made yet another deal with the Environment Agency that will continue these endeavors through 2020 with many intermittent goals already in place.

The industry's progress has not gone unnoticed. Along with the Environment Agency, they've recently been recognized by the Mineral Products Association, the executive director of which states that nitrogen emissions have gone down by 60%, sulphur dioxide by 84%, and dust by 82% since 1998. 

Needless to say, the rest of the world should take the UK's initiatives by example. Ever since Alexander Bouri invented the floating cement terminal, the industry has been booming – especially since it is now deliverable to countries all around the world, even those with smaller ports. Despite the positive aspects of more readily available building material, such as the opportunities for industrialization to flourish, more production does mean more waste. It likely won't be long before laws are in place to make manufacturing more 'green,' so other contributors to the cement industry had best get a head start.