Closing the loop with Geocycle
From Athens International Airport to the suburbs of Mexico City, Holcim’s Geocycle business is on a mission to prove that “waste materials” are valuable resources.
Geocycle provides compliant and sustainable waste management solutions for industries and municipalities worldwide that help them avoid landfill, and are large-scale, scientifically proven and economically feasible.
In 2025, Geocycle supported Holcim’s decarbonization by recycling 12.6 million tons of materials, safely turning non-recyclable waste – everything from flexible plastic packaging to foundry sand – into alternative fuels and raw materials for our operations.
“Close the Loop”, our new three-part film series, gives you the inside track on Geocycle’s technologies, partnerships and the people who make the magic happen – as we turn waste into resources.
Geocycle flies with Athens Airport
Over 30 million passengers pass through the Athens International Airport every year. As the airport’s sole waste management service provider, Geocycle is responsible for collecting and processing 100% of its non-hazardous solid waste.
In this past year of 2024 we obtained for the first time what’s called the Zero Waste to Landfill Certification … We’re really proud of that, and part of that is due to our collaboration with Geocycle.
In Episode 1 of “Close the Loop”, discover how our team in Greece processes incoming waste, helping the airport achieve its first Zero Waste to Landfill Certification.
A future for foundry sands
Geocycle has solutions for waste that cannot be recycled the usual way, coprocessing it for use as alternative energy or materials for cement production. To make cement, you need raw materials and heat to create a precursor material called clinker.
If we didn’t treat foundry sands they’d end up in inert landfill. You have to treat them very carefully and very precisely. Here we crush, we screen and we create a uniform product that ultimately can go back into the plant as an alternative raw material.
In Episode 2, discover how Geocycle supports low-carbon cement production by incorporating non-recyclable materials, while keeping waste out of landfills.
Turning microplastics into energy
Microplastics represent a major environmental challenge. These pervasive particles are harder to clean up than larger plastics, accumulating in the environment and inside living creatures. Geocycle is tackling microplastic pollution at the source by transforming it into energy with zero residue.
In Mexico at this moment, we don’t have conditions to collect, sort and recycle flexible plastic packaging. The collaboration with Geocycle has been a solution to tackle the problem caused by this kind of waste.
In Episode 3, learn about Geocycle’s work with the NGO ECOCE, which designs and develops strategies and projects to tackle plastic pollution in Mexico, while simultaneously supporting local communities.
Do you want to know more about how Geocycle turns waste into resources? Check out its website here!
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