Alternative materials
Afoco promotes all by-products from the processing of industrial alternative materials. The aim is to enhance these alternative materials in industry, the BTP, to replace traditional materials taken from the natural environment.
French experience in the use of alternative industrial materials
Mr GITZHOFER – President AFOCO – PPRS Paris 24 February 2015
Steel, fresh production and stock
Steel dairy is the waste from the conversion of iron into steel. They are mainly blast furnace (LHF), converter (LD) and electric steelworks (LAC). They can be recovered during the manufacturing process (fresh production) or at the storage site.
Crystallized blast furnace dairy
Dairy LD
Electric steel dairy
Learn more about dairy
Ashes of thermal power plants
Fly ash of coal is the residue of burning fossil material in thermal power plants to produce electricity. These alternative materials are present in France in the old coalfields (mainly Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Lorraine and Provence) or near the ports that allow coal to be imported. Fly ash is registered under 10 01 02 of the European Waste List (Green List), and is not classified as hazardous waste.
Learn more about flying ashes
Coal shales
Coal shales are alternative materials from the coal industry. These are the rocks extracted at the same time as the main product which is coal.
Learn more about coal shales
Non-dangerous waste incineration (MIDD)
MIDNDs are mineral residues that remain after incineration of household waste. Their valuation is subject to criteria, including environmental criteria, as set out in the Ministerial Order of 18 November 2011 and the SETRA Implementation Guide of October 2012.
Learn more about MIDND
Smelter sands
Sands used to form moulds and cores in the foundry industry can be recycled, particularly in the BTP. A Cerema application guide on environmental acceptability of smelter sands in road technology was published in 2019.
Learn more about foundry sands
Used refractories
Used refractory coatings have very high temperature resistance properties. They are used for the creation and repair of any facility requiring heat conservation and resistance to high temperatures.
Learn more about used refractories
Granulats of Anthropocite
Mineral aggregates from the Accelerated Fossilization of Waste are called « Anthropocite© ». They can replace natural aggregates from quarries for non-structural concrete use, without technical or environmental risk.
In addition, they act as carbon sinks by preventing the degradation of biogenic materials contained in the site DIB. Anthropocite© has a negative carbon footprint, i.e. for one tonne of aggregates produced, 337 kg of equivalent CO2 is stored in aggregates. The production and use of these aggregates therefore have a positive effect on the environment.
