The new strategic framework for the waste sector foresees that the mineral fraction of the coprocessed waste in cement kilns that is integrated in the clinker, an intermediate product of cement production, will now be counted in the scope of the national recycling rate for each flow.

Ave – Gestão Ambiental e Valorização was responsible for the study that assesses the recycling rate associated with the coprocessing of waste from different sources. The project had the partnership of SPV, Valorcar and Valorpneu.

The study, carried out by 3Drivers, went through the technical validation and legal framework associated with the process, establishing a methodology for calculating the recycling index by coprocessing associated with five waste streams (CDR-RU, CDR-RIB, used tires, waste from automobile fragmentation and mixtures of hazardous waste), assessment of the environmental impact of co-processing and establishment of a sampling methodology and procedure for the recurrent operational validation of the recycling index.

Among the demonstrative results of the study, we highlight the retroactive impacts of recycling targets for the management entities Valorcar and Valorpneu, and prospective impacts for the goals of preparation for reuse and recycling of urban waste and recycling of packaging waste (with potential impact in compliance with the Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging Directive, which are related to PERSU 2020 and the SPV operating license). The table below summarizes the most important results:

Estimated contribution to specific flow recycling targets, associated with co-processing in national cement kilns.

* Assuming an increase in the consumption of CDR-RU with 20% humidity in cement plants in 2014: 84,000t; 2015: 197,000t; 2016: 279,000t