The growth of the world’s population and global economic development create a rising demand for resources, and are the main drivers behind the increasing levels of waste worldwide. In parallel, waste is now considered a resource that should be used in a beneficial way. Throughout the world, awareness is rising that landfilling should be a temporary measure or a last resort, and that a more resource efficient waste management system is needed.
Thirty years ago, cement companies started to treat waste as a source of raw material and energy. Today, the cement industry provides a significant contribution to the waste management practices of many countries. The responsible use of waste as an alternative fuel to heat cement kilns is lowering the industry’s consumption of fossil fuels, which is helping to reduce the environmental footprint of global cement production.