New brick-making technology excites govt
Malawi Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Bright Msaka says the decision by Eco Bricks Limited to manufacture bricks using quarry dust will greatly help the nation reduce forest degradation.
Eco Bricks Limited is based at Mthyoka in Lilongwe and is manufacturing bricks using quarry dust it gets from Kanengo, which is an industrial area in the capital city.
Speaking after launching the new technology recently, Msaka said it has come at the right time when the country suffered one of its worst natural disasters, which killed a lot of people.
Said Msaka: “This initiative of curing bricks without using wood has come at a very good time in the country because trees are being depleted at a very fast rate.
“As government, we are fully, completely and enthusiastically behind this project because we want to save those remaining trees in our forests. These days more houses are being built not only in cities but in rural areas and we will ask this company to scale-up its services to reach more people in the country.”
He said the recently launched rural housing scheme dubbed Malata project will also no longer be using bricks burnt using wood.
“Under the Malata subsidy, houses were being built using burnt bricks but we will no longer advance this. We will be using these bricks, which do not require wood to be cured because it is the responsibility of government to make sure that natural resources are protected,” said Msaka.
Chairperson of the finance and audit committee of the Eco Bricks Limited, Yuen Chikando, said their bricks are strong, rarely break and are available at an affordable price.
“Currently, our capacity is at 12 000 bricks per day but during rainy days, we scale down to 5 000 bricks because we have not completed constructing our shades. We have employed 20 full-time employees and, in due course, more people will be engaged, including casual labourers,” he said.
Currently, the company has bought four shaft kilns at K80 million and plans to introduce different kinds of bricks on the market.
What makes the quarry dust stick together to form a brick? It seems that cement is used. In making cement a lot of heat is needed. Where does that heat come from?
inundiye achitsiru
This is a welcome development that if embraced as a policy and enforced, it will show that now this failed state is serious to curb the raping of our trees. However, as a company, Eco-Bricks should also look at promoting environmental friendly low-cost housing models for the rural poor households as both a social responsibility and business at the base of the pyramid. Koma, Malawi sazatheka, how could the state tolerate people to build fired bricks right behind Queens Elizabeth Hospital as you pass through Winners shapel in Chitawira u ll c this. I also I am aware we are a maize country, but growing maize anywhere anyhow in the urban defecate the city.