UK: Cemex UK says that it has collected 130,000t of by-pass dust (BPD) from its Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire since 2015. The producer supplies the BPD to the agriculture sector, where it can replace traditional fertilisers and lime due to its high lime and potassium content. Additionally, Cemex UK has sponsored research into this and other circular economic uses of BPD, including an on-going study which claimed the Carbon Journey Award at the Eco Innovation North West Awards 2023.

Cemex’s Europe regional head of sustainability Paul Fletcher said “We are very proud of our partnership with Silverwoods and the considerable positive impact their innovation and expertise has had on our ability to reuse BPD for other applications. We believe it leads the way in our industry and presents real potential to be adapted elsewhere across our operations. Not only does it benefit the environment by reducing the amount of materials that need to be disposed of, but it generates a product that has a value for farmers and helps cut the use of traditional materials.” He added “This partnership demonstrates that to deliver true circularity, more industrial by-products, including those from different sectors of the economy, need to be used as secondary resources, rather than primarily be seen as waste. If this is to be achieved, a new perspective is needed to boost circular economy practices, with regulations and permitting supporting this proactively.”