Why did Xella set the goal of sending zero AAC waste to landfill by 2025?

Landfilling is a real waste of valuable resources. Following our vision of building a sustainable world, we are embedding a regenerative approach to every aspect of our processes, based on the almost full recyclability of AAC and CSU. Here we are committed to stop landfilling, reduce use of virgin raw material and have set ourselves the goal to return back to production or other alternative use, limit waste and further develop access to construction and demolition material as a secondary raw material. We can already observe that landfilling is being banned in various countries due to differing legislation, showing the strong commitment of local governments. All this shows that we walk the talk.

No AAC in landfills by the end of 2025 - where is Xella now?

We are reaching this milestone, ‘Zero landfill’ for AAC by 2025, in a few weeks' time.

Did you know this would work from the beginning?

When Xella set its ambitious 'Zero to landfill' target, the path forward was uncharted.
But once you reach this goal, the work is not finished. Keeping zero demands full dedication from our plant managers and every team member involved, demonstrating our shared commitment to sustainability every single day. Also, market conditions can change, legislation can change — so we must be constantly vigilant, creating and working with our eyes open to opportunities.

How did you manage to reach the goal in time?

Initially, we considered investing in crushers and other machines, allowing us to reuse our leftovers in production, but it quickly became clear that cost efficiency was just as crucial. So we started to think out of the box and identified different routes to achieve our goal: finding industrial symbiosis, improving efficiency of operations, rethinking investments in order to bring long term value to circularity. In some locations, we use only selected routes; in others, we use a combination of all routes to achieve our goal.

It's about establishing out of the box thinking?

I prefer to say: act locally, think widely.
It is a very interdisciplinary issue, as you really need an excellent understanding about the processes in the plant but also need to look broader in the ecosystem, what are the local possibilities to find solutions.

 
We talked a lot about the AAC goal. What about landfilling CSU? 

We prioritized tackling the most challenging part first, given the complexity due to the number of our AAC plants, their locations, and the regulatory landscape. Now, there’s no time to lose — CSU is next on our agenda, and there are already some initiatives on the way. Our goal is clear: to eliminate landfilling by 2030. With the experience we’ve gained and a strong commitment to collaboration, I firmly believe this goal is within reach.