A team of scientists from Stanford University and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has conducted field research in Bangladesh with the participation of the consulting company Greentech Knowledge Solutions, offering local brick kiln owners new ways to save energy and reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. The results of the study have been published in the journal Science. This could become a starting point for reform in the brick industry, which plays a key role in Bangladesh’s economy but remains a major source of air pollution, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and PM2.5 fine particulate matter, which is hazardous to human health.
Brick production in Bangladesh is largely carried out with the use of conventional low-tech methods. Most kilns are manually operated on a seasonal basis, using coal as the primary fuel. Producers often use zig-zag kilns, which can be more environmentally friendly if operated correctly, although many owners do not know how to use them effectively. Nevertheless, Bangladesh produces about 27 billion bricks per year, which makes the industry both extremely important and difficult to regulate.
In 2023–2024, the scientists conducted controlled trials in which 276 kiln owners were offered training and technical support to adopt new production methods, including switching from coal to biofuels. The results were impressive: 65% of owners implemented new technologies, reduced their fuel costs and improved their product quality. Most importantly, their energy consumption fell by 23%, with CO₂ and PM2.5 emissions decreasing by 20%. According to the researchers’ calculations, the social benefit from reducing emissions exceeded the costs of implementation by 65 times, with the cost of reducing one ton of CO₂ standing at just $2.85. A year after the experiment, most owners continued to use the new methods, and some even implemented additional improvements.
If all kiln owners in Bangladesh switch to the proposed firing and stacking technologies, seasonal CO₂ emissions could go down by 2.4 million tons, which is approximately 2% of all annual emissions in the country. The researchers are confident that the methods tested in Bangladesh can be used in other South Asian countries, such as India and Nepal, where bricks are manufactured in a similar manner.
