Stone slurry water doesn't necessarily have to pollute fields and groundwater. A Hebron startup has figured out how to reuse it in a circular way.
The 2nd prize of the Palestine CleanTech Innovation Competition - 1st Edition 2021 has been assigned to ECO-BRICKS, a startup founded in Hebron, West Bank by Sa'ad Yasser Jaradat with Oday Zaher and Hanan Jaradat.
Their proposal, a set of bricks for the construction industry, has been conceived as a solution to a major problem which affects the Palestinian stone and marble industry, whose quarries are mostly located in the North of Hebron. This sector, one of the biggest in the country, cannot import the chemicals that are used for this disposal process. As a result, the stone slurry water that results from production is usually discharged on open land, causing the pollution of agricultural land and water tables.
Made from stone-cutting sludge as main component, locally produced and with a lower carbon footprint, ECO-BRICKS’ construction materials are eco-friendly. Their bricks, which have already undergone the testing process, have shown higher heat and water-leak isolating qualities than standard bricks. The 25,000 euros prize will be used to start a small-scale production which will employ local labor, favoring the creation of new jobs.
Image above: Hanan Jaradat, co-founder of Eco-Bricks, during her pitch at the Palestine CleanTech Champions Day in Ramallah on February 3rd – credits MOUSTADAMA – UNIDO Palestine.
