Aggregate Industries to use waste ceramics as alternative fuel

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 Aggregates Industries. Aggregate Industries has agreed a four-year deal with Johnson Tiles to take 20,000t of legacy waste and broken production scrap a year from its Stoke factory. The tiles will make the short trip from the factory to Aggregate Industries’ Cauldon cement plant in Staffordshire, where it will be used as an alternative raw material.

It will be crushed and mixed with limestone and other raw component parts before going through the chemical heat process in the kiln to make cement. The recycled ceramics will replace virgin materials, such as shale, meaning less materials need to be extracted from the ground and natural resources can be prolonged for longer, says Aggregate Industries. 

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 per cent of the material will be upcycled into new local cement.

“It demonstrates our continued commitment to circularity at the plant and is firmly part of our sustainability strategy. We are continuously looking at alternative fuels and materials for cement production in order to lower our carbon emissions and boost circularity.

“Both companies share a drive towards sustainable manufacturing and partnerships like this are vital as Aggregate Industries aims to reclaim or recycle 3Mt of materials by 2025.”