Progressive Planet Solutions at 724 Sarcee St. in Kamloops. (Photo via Google Maps)

A Kamloops-based environmental firm has inked a new agreement with Lafarge Canada to try to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted when making cement.

Progressive Planet, which operates out of the Mount Paul Industrial Park, has signed an initial Memorandum of Understanding to test the use of PozGlass in its cement production.

PozGlass is made up of recycled consumer glass, and would supplement limestone as one of the core ingredients in cement making.

Progressive Planet CEO Steve Harpur says the ultimate goal is to make cement which is safer for the environment.

“When limestone is heated, it releases 44 per cent of the weight of that limestone as Carbon Dioxide. When silica is heated, it doesn’t release any CO2,” Harpur said. “If the cement industry was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of CO2 globally.”

Harpur says Progressive Planet intends to get its PozGlass-producing plant built and running at its headquarters in the Mount Paul Industrial Park sometime next year.

“We will create seven full time jobs directly here at our plant,” he added. “We employ over 50 people right now in Kamloops at our industrial facilities in the Mount Paul Industrial Park.”