UK: Thousands of tonnes of waste ceramics from one of the UK’s largest ceramic tile manufacturers will be recycled to make cement as part of a new initiative from Aggregate Industries. The cement producer, owned by Holcim, has agreed a four-year deal with Johnson Tiles to take 20,000t/yr of legacy waste scrap from its Stoke factory in Staffordshire. They will be transported a short distance to Aggregate Industries’ Cauldon cement plant, where they will be crushed and mixed with limestone and the other raw materials prior to entering the kiln.

Andrew Whyatt, Geocycle UK General Manager at Aggregate Industries, said “We are delighted to be working with such a potteries stalwart as Johnson Tiles in order to recycle what would otherwise be a waste product. Materials such as this offer a great alternative to excavating fresh raw materials, preserving our local natural resources, whilst offering a solution whereby 100% of the material will be upcycled into new local cement. Both companies share a drive towards sustainable manufacturing and partnerships like this are vital as Aggregate Industries aims to reclaim or recycle 3Mt/yr of materials by 2025.”