Titan America’s Deerfield Beach cement plant in South Florida has begun burning waste, such as scrap cardboard and car bumpers, to replace coal in the cement manufacturing process, a practice known as co-processing.
The Deerfield Beach plant is the largest in South Florida. Guillermo Haberer, Director of Alternative Fuels and Materials, stated that the company hopes it efforts to reduce its use of coal in cement production will inspire manufacturers across Florida, and the country as a whole, to follow suit.
The shift from burning coal to burning refuse could make a huge difference in terms of environmental impact due to the amount of energy the cement making process requires. Co-processing helps to cut air pollution as the materials used produce fewer emissions than coal and reduces the amount waste sent to landfills. Officials say that the practice could help the state achieve its goal of recycling 75% of municipal solid waste by 2020.
Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling