Cement and concrete play a central role in the circular economy.
But in order to fully unleash the potential of these two sectors, which are
essential to society, we need to define, develop and implement the right policy
framework. Perhaps I should start by highlighting why we are essential, as this
point often seems to be overlooked when discussing policies, regulation and
legislation. Cement and concrete ensure that we have homes and offices, schools
and hospitals, as well as transport infrastructure. Not only that, we are a
European industry – our entire life cycle is based in Europe and we hope to
stay that way!
The question is: what is our role in the circular economy, and
what do we realistically have to offer?
·
Raw materials: Did you
know that the raw materials that we use (limestone for cement and aggregates
for concrete) are abundantly available in Europe? This is important, as we are
not extracting and using scarce raw materials.
·
The cement
manufacturing process: It probably comes as no surprise to hear that we use
primarily coal and petcoke in our kilns. But what you may be less aware of is
the fact that we are able to replace part of these traditional fuels with fuels
and biomass derived from waste. Not only does this form of energy recovery
reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, we are also able to recycle the ash back
within our process. Our main energy sources are : petcoke, oil are the primary
fuels with which we fire up our kilns; that, you know; what is probably new to
you is that the cement industry in Europe takes a pioneering role in recovering
energy and recycling material from waste in an operation we call
“co-processing”
·
Concrete: Concrete is
in fact made up of cement, water and aggregates (gravel, crushed stone, sand,
recycled concrete). And guess what: concrete is 100% recyclable and can go back
into concrete as a recycled aggregate or into other applications (e.g. road
base). Another interesting fact is that concrete is such a durable material
that structures can last for decades, or even centuries! We have all heard of
the Channel Tunnel, but what you probably did not know is that the concrete
used to build it is contractually guaranteed to last at least 120 years!
But which policies should be considered? In terms of the
recycling of construction and demolition waste, I have outlined below a few of
our thoughts:
·
According to the
Commission’s figures, approximately one third of all waste in Europe comes from
construction and demolition. Only one third of that amount is recycled and it’s
not technical difficulties that prevent a higher recycling rate. It’s market
realities. Proof of that is that recycling rates greatly differ between
European Member States with a 95% recovery rate in The Netherlands, for
instance, against a European average varying between 30% and 60%. We are not alone in tackling this challenge.
We will call upon the other material producers in the construction industry to
work together and improve the collection and sorting of demolition waste and in
creating an economically viable system encouraging its use.
·
Through The Concrete
Initiative, we have tried to focus on each of the three pillars of
sustainability and how concrete can contribute to each of them. When giving
equal weight to each of these three pillars, we need to carefully assess
requirements such as on minimum recycled content which has sometimes been
suggested: in imposing such requirement, it is crucial to look beyond the
product and assess other economic costs or environmental impacts that can be
generated. By way of an example, it would not make sense to transport concrete
over long distances in order for it to be reused in a building when there is an
option of recycling it in a different application (e.g. road base) but do so
locally.
But there is nevertheless one important point to be borne in
mind: even if we were to recycle all of the concrete construction and
demolition waste produced annually as a concrete aggregate we would only meet
between 10% and 30% of our aggregate needs. As a result, our industry will
always be in need of virgin materials. As indicated, however, the durability
and longevity of buildings is one of the factors that contribute to a less
frequent recourse to virgin raw materials. A last plea is therefore for the
policymakers to reflect on how to better value and recognise durability of
products in regulation. It may be unexpected, but that is also a factor to be
taken into account in the reflection on the circular economy. So if you are
looking to buy cement and concrete products visit Allindiayellowpage.com to get detail information about cement
available stores and suppliers in your city.