These waste materials are an important source of energy for the cement industry and at the same time they improve waste management, especially in developing countries. Also, they contribute toward the aim of decreasing fossil fuel use and costs while also conserving natural resources, lowering global CO₂ emissions and reducing the need for landfills. Our policy on AFR (see right hand navigation) guides our approach.

Building on 18 years of experience in co-processing, in 2006 we launched Geocycle, a waste management brand for Group companies, which covers most of our operations in Asia, Europe and North America. (See data below for further details of the energy produced from alternative fuels.)

In emerging markets, waste management is one of the most significant challenges. Disposal often occurs in an uncontrolled way, principally due to a lack of legislation, and this contributes to environmental pollution and presents health hazards.

To ensure that clear legal provisions are in place, we entered into partnership with the German-based international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development, GTZ, in 2003. For six years, we worked together to improve waste management and close gaps in legislation in selected developing countries. Our work paves the way for the transfer of technological know-how and provides an example of how to disseminate innovation while contributing to sustainable development.

The partnership concluded at the end of 2008. The success of the strategic alliance was celebrated in the form of a stakeholder dialog in Zurich. Collaboration between the two parties will continue on national level to ensure implementation of the guidelines. For further details please see the case study on the “GTZ-Holcim Public Private Partnership” in the right hand navigation.