AAK Brazil
Achieves zero waste
AAK had a global objective for 2018 to achieve less
than 1.5 percent of its waste being sent to landfill.
Making a vital contribution to this goal, AAK Brazil
became a zero waste company in September 2018
through an innovative new initiative known as
”Coprocessing”.
Since 2016, AAK Brazil has endeavored to reduce
the amount of waste it sends to the municipal landfill.
However, over the last year, the site went much further
– instead of simply reducing the waste, it found a way to
dispose of it completely. As a result, AAK Brazil officially
became a zero waste company in September 2018,
setting a standard for all AAK sites to follow.
Making waste useful
Until recently, even following various initiatives to reduce
waste, AAK Brazil still shipped on average 3 MT a
month of waste to landfill. It was discovered that this
could be completely reversed thanks to a new process
known as Coprocessing.
Coprocessing is a technology that “blends” compatible
waste into a product that can be incinerated to fuel
cement kilns. This replaces fossil fuels and other raw
materials typically needed for the cement manufacturing
process and reduces the amount of harmful emissions
it creates. Not only does this have clearly beneficial
advantages for our environment, but it provides significant
cost savings for cement producers.
Here’s how it works:
COPROCESSING
1
AAK generates waste Transporting the waste
6
2
5
3
The waste is analyzed
4
to the blend unit
and processed
Final disposal waste
certificate
WASTE
BLEND
Waste into blend
transformation
Transport blend to the
cement industry
Waste in energy
transforming
The blend is used as fuel in
the kiln to make cement
An example to follow
AAK Brazil has set an excellent example of what can be
achieved. Today, approximately 97 percent of its waste
is sent for recycling, reuse and composting, with the
other 3 percent being sent for Coprocessing. As a global
organization, AAK is constantly looking for better ways
to reduce its environmental footprint by generating less
landfill waste – and Coprocessing is proving to be one
of the most effective.
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