Tunisian transforms mine waste into building materials

STORY: This Tunisian company turns mine waste into building material

Location: Bizerte, Tunisia

[Abdelmalek Ghannem, Director general of SOIB] “This soil comes from the remnants of a metal mine that has been closed for more than twenty years, and it can be converted into bricks from compressed soil.”

“The production of bricks from compressed soil is in fact a solution to several problems, the energy problem, considering we can greatly reduce energy costs, we can create jobs, reduce gas emissions because this project does not produce waste at all, but values waste in the form of bricks that can be used to solve housing problems, and today the world is experiencing many problems associated with energy and waste and how they could be managed.”

Ghannem says the soil bricks save up to 50% of building costs

while speeding up construction and retaining heat

Established in 2010, the company says it has served more than 600 clients

“I am passionate about ecological construction, I love what I do, and I believe in it. I believe that ecological building is a strategic choice, and will prevail in the future because the world experiences multiple energy crises, climate change, and air pollution outside and inside houses due to chemicals used in the buildings we live and breathe in. That’s why we now started talking about the diseases of buildings.”