Cement Energy Environment

47 The circular economy is based on sustainable use of resources. In a circular economy, the value of products and materials is maintained for as long as possible; waste and resource use are minimized, and resources are kept within the economy. The circular economy principles like reduce, reuse, and recycle materials and energy describe different possibilities to practice. Traditional economic systems tend to be based on a linear “take-make-dispose” production model. For the circular economy, however, there is a difference between the consumption and use of materials. Consumed materials become waste, but the circular economy aims to reduce waste through the efficient use of materials and other alternate resources. Circular economy is in consonance with life cycle thinking as it takes care of lifetime period. A key aspect of the circular economy is that material which have accumulated in the economy, constitute important man made accumulation that can be exploited through recycling the secondary raw materials and reuse and remanufacture to keep products in the commercial lifecycle, the overall aim of the circular economy is National Council for Cement and Building materials (NCB) made a beginning in direction of sustainable development in India. NCB for the first time in the country completed the LCA study for cement sector (Cradle-to-Gate) in the year 2006 under the aegis of the MoEF & CC, Govt. of India. For cement industry required to study LCA, “Cradle-to-Cradle” (C2C) there are number of areas where LCA is helpful: in the to decouple economic growth from resources and use. The basic understanding of life cycle methods is that all products and services have a value chain connected to them, that nothing in this world stands alone, and that all our actions have consequences. Life cycle thinking considers all materials, fuels, energy, and water consumed and the possible by-products, emissions and waste created when making, using and/ or disposing a specific product. In case of cement and concrete for building need to be handled by LCA and CE. The life cycle begins from raw material extraction and conversion and continues via manufacturing and distribution to use and/or consumption. The life cycle ends with the so-called end-of life stage, including re- use, recycling of materials and energy recovery and/ or disposal. The core of life cycle thinking is to avoid shifting the environmental burden. This means that minimizing impacts at one stage of the life cycle or in one environmental impact category should not cause increasing impacts elsewhere. Very often the value chains are international and the impacts e.g., on climate change influence a global level. identification of significant environmental effects, in the quantification of those effects, in the assessment of changes in environmental performance in supply chain and the environmental benefits arising from changes in operating conditions, equipment, procedures, raw materials or alternate products specifically for blended new variety of cements. Circular Economy Figure 2: Life Cycle Assessment and its Four Phases