Dear Sir or Madam,

Many of you probably know the 2014 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report that warned that the worldwide use of primary mineral resources significantly exceeds the natural renewal rate. Meanwhile, this has become extremely obvious – as selected regions in the world are now facing a limited availability of natural minerals.

As international experts for minerals processing and recycling, we understand the consequences of such primary resource shortage. Our operations in Singapore and the Netherlands are dealing first hand with these challenges – two countries in which natural minerals are a rare commodity.

In general, the highest demand for minerals stems from the construction sector. In countries that lack mineral resources, the need to maintain supplies of minerals for the construction industry has been driving the technical progress, innovation and development of new application areas for secondary aggregates at an impressively fast pace.

As international stakeholders continue towards a more sustainable management of mineral resources, the way forward is clear: increase the environmental qualities of secondary and recycled aggregates through the use of modern processing technologies. At the same time, other mechanisms, such as quality assurance schemes and an according technical and environmental framework need to be created. Only then, can we fully utilize the largest waste stream – mineral waste.

Based on the latest statistics in Germany, we know that 19% of construction minerals can be easily replaced by secondary and recycled aggregates. Please feel free to > contact us directly if you would like to benefit from our knowledge of minerals – and if you like our international newsletter just > recommend us.

Yours sincerely,
Michael Stoll, Chief Executive Officer of REMEX Mineralstoff GmbH

> MINERAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
> Sand – the end of an important international raw material?
> UNEP report: “Sand, rarer than one thinks”
> SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES: SECONDARY MATERIALS
> Incinerator bottom ash aggregates IBAA
> Recycled aggregates from construction and demolition (CDM) waste
> HANDLING OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL RESIDUES
> cewep confirms: Waste shipment into mines classified as recovery
> OUR FILM SERIES CONTINUES
> Quality control: Visit our lab
> REMEX
> Learn more about our business areas in our interactive presentation
> granova^® combimix certified by Dutch Ministry for Infrastructure and Water Management
> MERIT^® technology being installed in Mannheim to increase metal recovery from IBA
> MEET US AT THE IFAT 2018 IN MUNICH (GER)

MINERAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Sand – the end of an important international raw material?

Picture: Dr. Rudolf Diegel, Chief Technical Officer of REMEX

One of the leading articles in the latest issue of REMONDIS AKTUELL, the REMONDIS Group's magazine, was entitled "Built on sand? The end of an important raw material". In an interview with Dr. Rudolf Diegel, Chief Technical Officer at REMEX Mineralstoff GmbH, awareness of finite resources, the approval situation for sand and gravel mining and possible construction alternatives to primary building materials are discussed. You can read the article > here. The complete issue of the magazine as well as a digital version for browsing online can be found > here.

UNEP report: "Sand, rarer than one thinks"

As early as March 2014, the > UNEP Global Environmental Alert Service reported in its publication "Sand, rarer than one thinks" about the unchecked international use of gravel and sand, which significantly exceeds the natural renewal rate. According to the > UNEP report, between 47 and 59 billion tons of material are mined annually worldwide, of which sand and gravel account for the largest share. The demand comes from a wide variety of industries, including the glass, electronics and aerospace industries; however, sand is used most frequently in the construction industry. The increased demand is also a consequence of the enormous economic growth in Asia.

The study's author Pascal Peduzzi notes that the lack of data on aggregate mining has contributed to the lack of awareness of this problem for so long. In addition, until recently sand had been mined in quarries and riverbeds, but the decline in inland resources has led to a shift towards mining at sea and on the coast – with considerable negative effects on the environment. > read the UNEP report

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES: SECONDARY MATERIALS

Incinerator bottom ash aggregates

The highest demand for minerals stems from construction projects. One alternative with comparable technical properties to natural minerals is the use of incinerator bottom ash aggregates. Using the residues of waste incineration as a resource, processed IBA can be used in a variety of construction projects. Visit our > references to learn more. To get an impression of the main processing steps, watch our > granova animation. Alternatively, to learn more complex details about processing technologies, visit the technology webpage > remex-processing.com with its further videos and interviews.

Recycled aggregates from construction and demolition (CDM) waste

According to the latest data from the international federation
> FIR, CDM waste represents the biggest waste stream in Europe. Make use of our short remexit^® presentation to understand the steps involved to produce high-quality recycling materials from construction and demolition waste – a valuable alternative to primary aggregates. > open the remexit^® animation

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL RESIDUES

cewep confirms: Waste shipment into mines classified as recovery

Waste-to-energy plants and municipal waste incineration plants are producing APCr (air pollution control residues). These materials need to be treated before they are used in suitable recovery facilities. Stowage in underground mines – as the > REMEX affiliated companies Minex and AUREC expertly manage - is an accepted, sustainable and environmental process within the European Waste Framework directive. cewep, the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy-Plants, now confirmed in its note dated 18th March 2018:

"The use of waste, no matter if it is of hazardous or non-hazardous nature, in underground mines can be a recovery operation if:

the mine operator is legally obliged to re-fill the disused mine and would have used other materials if the waste was not available,
the environmental impact assessment is proven on a long-term basis and
the waste used for the filling is suitable for this purpose (this is the case for e.g. fly ashes from waste incineration).”

Background details are given in a legal statement by Dr. Olaf Kropp, Managing Director of SAM Sonderabfall-Management-Gesellschaft Rheinland-Pfalz mbH and Head of the Office of the Consortium of Hazardous Waste Disposal Companies of the Federal States (AGS).

> read the original cewep note
> read the legal paper
> REMEX backfilling activities

OUR FILM SERIES CONTINUES

Quality control: Visit our lab

REMEX

Learn more about our business areas in our interactive presentation

granova^® combimix certification from “Rijkswaterstraat”

In the Netherlands, > granova^® combimix has recently been certificated by the Ministry for Infrastructure and Water Management for use as regular building material for road construction. This means, the material which has undergone several additional cleaning steps can now officially be used in roads without any safeguards, documenting that it is environmentally up to par with natural aggregates. The Dutch article can be found > here. To learn more about ongoing projects, contact > HEROS directly.

MERIT^® technology being installed by REMEX in Mannheim to increase metal recovery from IBA

The roll-out of our new MERIT^® metal recovery technology continues. Ongoing are the works for the Mannheim plant, which REMEX operates on a landfill site. The processing plant is currently being upgraded. In the future, the plant will have an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes and make use of the latest treatment technologies – including the MERIT^® module. The module, which was developed by REMEX will increase the current non-ferrous recovery rate by 15%. The technology is also being marketed to other processing companies. > learn more

Meet REMEX at the > IFAT 2018 in Munich

The world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, IFAT, takes places every two years in Munich – this year from May 14 to 18. As part of the REMONDIS Group you’ll find us the REMONDIS booth in hall A6, stand number 251/350. We would be happy to meet you there. If you like to make an appointment, please > contact us in advance.