Navigation menu
Cement Europe  |  About Us

Circularity in Action

Circularity is already part of how cement is produced in Europe. Every day, materials are reused, waste is transformed, and value is recovered. What was once discarded becomes part of the solution.

As a fully local industry, cement plays a unique role in Europe’s circular economy. It connects sectors, processes materials that would otherwise go to landfill, and supports more efficient use of resources across the construction value chain.

 

Cement kilns play a key role in recovering value from waste through co-processing. This means using waste as both a fuel and a raw material, replacing fossil fuels and natural resources in a single process.

The mineral content of the waste is fully integrated into the final product, leaving no residue. This makes cement production a safe and efficient solution for materials that cannot be recycled elsewhere, while reducing emissions and reliance on virgin inputs.

Circularity starts with how materials are used. The cement and concrete value chain increasingly relies on secondary materials such as industrial by-products, recycled concrete and natural alternatives.

Alternative raw materials replace part of the natural inputs used in clinker production. Supplementary cementitious materials reduce the clinker content in cement, lowering emissions while maintaining performance. Recycled aggregates further reduce the need for primary resources in construction.

Scaling up these solutions depends on access to quality materials, investment in processing infrastructure and strong links with other industries.

Concrete is 100% recyclable. At the end of a building’s life, it can be crushed and reused in multiple ways, from new concrete to road construction or as a raw material in cement production.

Each year, Europe generates hundreds of millions of tonnes of construction and demolition waste, a significant share of which is concrete. Recovering and reusing these materials reduces landfill, limits the extraction of natural resources and supports a more circular construction model.

Ongoing EU initiatives aim to strengthen the market for secondary materials and improve the quality and availability of recycled resources.

Cement-based materials have a unique property: they reabsorb CO2 over time through a natural process called carbonation. As buildings and infrastructure age, they gradually capture and store carbon from the atmosphere.

This process is already recognised in climate accounting and contributes to reducing the overall carbon footprint of the sector. Innovation is now exploring how to enhance carbonation, for example by injecting CO2 into recycled materials or during concrete production, where it becomes permanently mineralised.

Circularity in cement is not one solution, but a system. It brings together co-processing, material efficiency, recycling and carbonation into a single, integrated approach.

To unlock its full potential, the right conditions must be in place. This includes access to waste streams, better collection and sorting systems, investment in infrastructure, and a policy framework that recognises the value of secondary materials.

Building Europe’s circular future

From production to construction and end-of-life, cement is part of a continuous cycle. It enables the reuse of materials, supports circular construction practices and contributes to turning the built environment into a long-term carbon sink. Across Europe, these circular approaches are already visible in practice, through sustainable construction projects that combine low-carbon materials, circular design and local expertise.

By combining local production, innovation and circular use of resources, the sector is helping Europe reduce waste, lower emissions and build a more sustainable future.

Explore how circularity is reflected across our policy areas:
Waste management and co-processing
Go
Secondary cementitious and alternative raw materials
Go
Construction and demolition waste
Go
Carbonation
Go
Sustainable construction and material efficiency
Go

Circularity is not a separate pillar. It is part of the system.

LinkedIn YouTube Bluesky Instagram X Spotify
Quick Links
About
Policy Focus
Resources

©2026 Cement Europe. All rights reserved

Privacy Policy
Cookie Settings