{"id":13418,"date":"2021-08-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/media.biltrax.com\/?p=13418"},"modified":"2022-02-26T15:45:02","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T10:15:02","slug":"greenjams-tackling-carbon-footprint-with-agro-based-building-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sh040.global.temp.domains\/~vitamind\/biltrax.mediacontent\/greenjams-tackling-carbon-footprint-with-agro-based-building-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"GreenJams: Tackling carbon footprint with Agro-Based Building Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At a time when the construction sector accounts for 45% of the global carbon emissions, it is unwise to still settle for unsustainable practices of construction. A brainchild of Tarun Jami, GreenJams<\/a> has addressed this problem with a new product line in the construction segment which is both green and environmentally efficient. Visakhapatnam based GreenJams is a start-up providing sustainable solutions by revamping industrial by-products, crop residue and hemp stalks. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The cement industry alone is a top source of stringent carbon emissions and the pressure to decarbonize cement production now is more than ever. GreenJams\u2019 BINDR\u2122 uses 100% recycled industrial waste and is a sustainable replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement. BINDR\u2122 is a miracle material that combines with hemp to produce Hempbloc\u2122 and crop residue to produce Agrocrete\u00ae. Both these building blocks are carbon negative and curb air pollution by preventing the ruthless burning of crop residue. They also have insulating properties that reduce the operational costs of a building. Tarun\u2019s vision to create a carbon-negative environment is led by-products from GreenJams which may be among the top sustainable walling materials in the near future. He is also currently pursuing a Ph.D. in civil engineering focussing on hemp concrete from AcSIR at CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What led to the beginning of GreenJams? What inspired you to experiment with crop residue as a core building material?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a civil engineer, right from my undergraduate days, I was conscious of climate change and the role construction had to play in it. While it is called construction, in reality, it causes a lot of destruction and I was acutely aware of my role in it. Serendipitously, in 2013, as part of a college project, I had stumbled upon a material called Hempcrete. It caught my fancy for multiple reasons \u2013 it is carbon-negative, made of stalks of cannabis, and had amazing thermal insulation. I studied it academically until 2016, during which I also completed a Masters\u2019 degree in Environmental Science. In 2017, I had two options \u2013 choose a corporate career or pursue my passion. I chose the latter and established GreenJams with a vision to create a beautiful carbon-neutral built environment, and committed to bringing hempcrete to the Indian construction industry. In 2019, after two years of hard work and deep scientific study, I created the world\u2019s strongest hempcrete. Soon, I had convinced my father to quit his job at Tata Projects Ltd. and join GreenJams. My younger brother, Varun, who is also the co-founder, found his calling in the company\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late 2019, I was attending a meeting in Delhi when the air quality had gone beyond extremely severe. By the evening, I was severely impacted by the poor air quality and almost crashed my car because of it. Upon returning home to Roorkee I researched the issue and found that 44% of the particulate matter in Delhi\u2019s poor air is because of paddy straw burning. I went back to the drawing board and used paddy straw to come up with a building material similar to hempcrete. In the process, I ended up creating an amazing load-bearing material that was significantly better than hempcrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n