| Abstract |
The European Pulp and Paper Industry (PPI) generates 11 million tonnes of waste yearly. Most of them are currently burnt for energy recovery or used for landspreading, but around 1.5 million tonnes are still disposed. These wastes, mainly inorganic, are produced in the causticizing process or in waste-to-energy plants. If managed in a sustainable manner, they can become a valuable secondary raw material for other resource intensive industries such as construction. PAPERCHAIN, a research and innovation project funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, addresses this potential resource to demonstrate from a technical, economic, social and environmental point of view the feasibility of applying Circular Economy Models between the PPI and the construction industry. In detail, the application of different waste streams for concrete filler, asphalt pavements, composite for slope stabilization and binder for soil stabilization, is presented as an example of cooperation between the PPI and the construction sector. |