Case Study 1 – EcoFaeBrick
Case Study 1 – EcoFaeBrick
Areas of impact: Environmental, social and economic
Social enterprise location: Indonesia
Short description of activities:
In conjunction with Faerumnesia, a company, which makes products from recycled organic material, EcoFaeBrick was formally established in 2009 with a mission to utilise cattle waste, provide sustainable building materials, reduce environmental impact and increase economic wellbeing in farming areas.
EcoFaeBrick is a sustainable building material; it is 20 per cent lighter than a traditional clay brick and 20 per cent stronger in terms of compressive strength. It produces no higher economic costs in construction and servicing than original clay bricks.
The building material offers a more environmentally-friendly process and product than conventional clay bricks and applies a business model that benefits the local community.
Why it is a social enterprise:
- The EcoFaeBrick reduces environmental impact; use of biogas instead of firewood in the burning process reduces 1,692 tons of CO2 per year - equivalent to changing 269 cars into hybrid cars
- EcoFaeBricks are composed of 75 per cent processed cattle waste. This means they avoid the necessity for clay excavation (which typically damages land) and enables the preservation of 53 hectares of productive agriculture land that might otherwise be required for clay excavation
- The EcoFaeBrick business model works in partnership with local farmers and provides them with an additional income equal to 53 per cent of typical income, improving their quality of life
What is its design aspect?
It is the design of constructing eco-friendly bricks made from cattle waste. It also has a service design aspect of developing an effective supply chain and business model that works with the environmental and human resources to reduce environmental impact and boost local incomes.
Main actors and interactions (including stakeholders, networks, services and revenue streams):
- Prasetiya Mulya is a business school that runs a business management programme that ‘emphasises learning by actually implementing business concepts in real-world situations’
- The business school worked with Faerumnesia Handicraft, a company which specialises in the design and manufacture of products from organic waste materials, to create a process for the construction of building bricks from recycled cattle waste
- The process also involves farmers in the supply of cattle waste and pays them for this raw material
- The EcoFaeBrick product is sold to those that require a light durable building material for building construction
Social Impact:
- The business provides additional revenue streams to farmers while maintaining farming land
- The process provides materials for increasing housing and other buildings without the environmental impact associated with clay bricks
- It contributes to the sustainable development of local communities
Economic Impact:
- EcoFaeBrick improves the wealth of the participating farmers by 53 per cent
Environmental Impact:
- The EcoFaeBrick manufacture process reduces carbon emissions compared to the production of clay bricks
- The EcoFaeBrick reduces the need for clay excavation reducing land-use impact and contributing to the preservation of productive agricultural land
- The model is scaleable; EcoFaeBrick has identified 22 potential sites across Indonesia which are viable for such projects. There are also 22 other areas around the world facing similar considerations which offer opportunities to replicate the business
Links:
www.ecofaebrick.com/index.html
http://newslightingtechnology.blogspot.com/2008/12/faerumnesia-handicraft.html