The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), alongside the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), International Solid Waste Association – Africa, Mission Possible Partnership, and The Global Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council (WtERT) have released a joint industry statement on the role of co-processing in sustainable waste management.

Co-processing uses waste to replace fossil fuels in heating cement kilns, minimising actual waste in the cement-making process. Any remaining ashes are simultaneously recycled into the building material compound itself, making it a zero-waste solution.

The statement calls for stronger policy and regulatory support to unlock the full potential of co-processing. In particular, the joint statement asks governments and policymakers to:

  • Recognise co-processing as a sustainable waste management method – providing
    simultaneous energy recovery and material recycling – in waste policy frameworks;
  • Incentivise collection, sorting and pre-treatment of waste at municipal level to
    ensure quality and consistency of waste streams, encouraging recycling of the
    recyclable material and the co-processing of non-recyclable material
  • Enable environmental permit-issuing at the cement plants to get access to suitable
    waste;
  • Count the materials’ content (ash) effectively recycled through co-processing towards
    national recycling targets;
  • Provide fiscal incentives acknowledging the environmental benefits of co-processing
    waste in a cement kiln to create a level playing field with other waste management
    and energy options;
  • Create public-private partnerships for co-processing to allow risk-sharing and ensure
    long-term sustainability;
  • Encourage knowledge transfer and policy alignment across regions to unlock the full
    potential of co-processing as a sustainable waste management solution.