WtERT is pleased to announce that it has signed the Joint Cross-Industry Statement on Cement Industry Co-Processing, released on January 13, 2026, together with the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), the International Solid Waste Association – Africa, and the Mission Possible Partnership.

Co-processing is the use of suitable non-recyclable and non-reusable waste to replace fossil fuels in cement kilns, with any residual ash incorporated directly into the cement product. This allows for energy recovery and material recycling to happen simultaneously, creating what the signatories describe as a zero-waste solution. It is exactly the kind of integrated, high-value waste valorization pathway WtERT works to advance, closing the loop on waste streams that have no other productive end use while displacing fossil fuel demand in one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries.

Global waste generation is estimated at 11.2 billion metric tons annually, with municipal waste projected to double by 2050. Some cement plants already substitute more than 90% of their thermal fuel with waste through co-processing, while other regions have no established practices at all. This gap underscores both the proven viability of the technology and the scale of the opportunity still untapped worldwide.

Through the statement, GCCA, EuCIA, International Solid Waste Association – Africa, the Mission Possible Partnership and WtERT jointly call on international institutions and national, regional, and municipal governments to formally recognize co-processing within waste policy frameworks, enable efficient environmental permitting for cement plants, count ash recycled through co-processing towards national recycling targets, provide fiscal incentives that reflect its environmental benefits, and support public-private partnerships and cross-border knowledge sharing.

WtERT will be leveraging this joint statement in its ongoing advocacy efforts to promote co-processing as a proven, safe, and scalable solution for converting waste into value, reducing landfill dependence, cutting fossil fuel use, and supporting the transition to a circular economy.

The full statement is available here: Final Joint Industry Statement on Co-Processing (PDF).

More information on co-processing, including case studies and FAQs, can be found on the GCCA Co-Processing hub.