Stop the Controversy Over Cement Hazards... We Must Move Toward a Resource Circulation Society

[Planning] Waste Crisis and Circular Resource Recycling in the Cement Industry

Editor's NoteThe whole world is suffering from environmental pollution. The annual global production of plastic is about 450 million tons. It is expected to reach a staggering 1.2 billion tons by 2050. Currently, the ratio of plastic waste floating in the ocean to fish is 1:5. If no changes occur, shocking analyses predict this ratio will reach 1:1 by 2050. The issue of waste disposal, including discarded plastic waste, is a headache for the international community. The 'Uiseong Garbage Mountain,' reported by CNN in the U.S. last March, was promised to be dealt with by the government within the year but remains unresolved. Since China banned waste imports in 2018 and illegal waste exports were caught by Philippine authorities, it has become clear that South Korea is also facing a serious 'waste crisis.' There are limits to handling the rapidly increasing waste solely through incineration and landfill. As a complementary measure, most countries worldwide already recycle waste as circular resources in the cement industry. This publication highlights the role of the domestic cement industry necessary to resolve the waste crisis and realize a resource-circulating society in a three-part series.

The Hanil Cement Danyang Plant beautifully harmonized with the surrounding natural scenery.
[Photo by Hanil Cement]

③ Stop the Controversy Over Cement Toxicity... Move Toward a Resource-Circulating Society

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The decomposition period of plastic waste exceeds 500 years. Even at this moment, plastic trash is piling up like mountains all over the Earth. The untact (contactless) trend triggered by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has explosively increased the use of single-use plastic containers. Future generations are now forced to fight desperately to purify the Earth's environment, which is suffering from plastic pollution. The threat of environmental pollution can now be said to be part of everyday life.

The solution to the waste crisis lies in the 'cement industry,' as confirmed by cases in Europe, Japan, and others. Limestone, which accounts for 90% of natural raw materials in cement manufacturing, is essential, but other raw materials such as iron ore, clay, and silica can be replaced with slag, coal ash, sludge, and waste foundry sand (sand molds). The fuel bituminous coal can be substituted with circular resources like waste tires and waste plastics.

This recycling of circular resources is an eco-friendly method that not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also solves environmental problems. However, our situation differs from Europe and Japan. We are stuck in a toxicity controversy caused by excessive misunderstanding and distrust, framed as 'waste cement.'

In 2007, an environmental activist posted an experiment on the internet where goldfish were placed in a tank containing cement bricks. Shortly after, the goldfish died with their skin peeling off, and the activist claimed this was due to the toxicity of heavy metals (hexavalent chromium) in waste cement.

Many media outlets reported this, and the domestic cement industry faced a brutal public backlash. However, the reported content was inaccurate. Scholars and experts in the cement concrete field conducted experiments to correct the misunderstanding. The result was due to pH (hydrogen ion concentration). In other words, because cement bricks are alkaline (basic), the goldfish in the tank died from skin irritation.

This is the same phenomenon as workers' skin peeling when handling cement without protective gloves at construction sites. Cement is supposed to maintain alkalinity. If the steel reinforcement inside concrete structures rusts, it causes cracks and reduces structural stability, so the concrete surrounding the rebar must be strongly alkaline.

The goldfish experiment actually proved that domestic cement products are not waste but rather excellent. However, the environmental activist claimed it was cement made by mixing waste, causing public anxiety and fear, and the broadcast reported toxicity without verifying the facts, fueling the controversy.

To quell the 'waste cement' controversy, the Ministry of Environment formed a public-private consultative body for three months, including 23 participants from the government, experts, residents near cement plants, environmental groups, and the cement industry. By precisely analyzing heavy metals in cement through rational testing methods and publicly releasing the results, they objectively evaluated the safety of circular resource recycling cement and resolved the controversy.

A representative from the Korea Cement Association said, "The toxicity controversy over cement was already proven to be baseless in 2008 and ended," adding, "However, the environmental activist who participated in the public-private consultative body withdrew after the results did not align with their intentions and has continued to criticize the cement industry to this day."

Further exhausting debates over cement toxicity do not help solve the waste crisis or realize a resource-circulating society. Since Europe, Japan, and the U.S. are already recycling waste as circular resources in the cement industry to solve and prevent environmental problems, we must hurry as well.

Experts unanimously advise that waste can be treated and environmental problems solved through cement kilns (production facilities). Professor Kang Tae-jin of Seoul National University said, "Europe is actively promoting circular economy revitalization plans using cement kilns," and suggested, "Let's solve environmental problems by transforming the cement industry into an environmental industry."

Hong Soo-yeol, director of the Resource Circulation Society Economy Research Institute, stated, "To overcome the plastic waste crisis and climate crisis, we must mobilize all available means to respond to the crisis," and argued, "One of the infrastructures currently available to us is cement production facilities."

Although 15 years have passed since the toxicity controversy arose, it is still ongoing. It has already been confirmed in Europe and Japan, and China is also participating. So why is South Korea the only country that cannot escape this exhausting controversy and is placing obstacles on the path to a resource-circulating society?

A representative from the Cement Association emphasized, "The government must show strong will and policy-driven momentum to utilize the cement industry as an important means to realize a resource-circulating society," and added, "The cement industry must also continuously promote to prevent the public from being swept up in exaggerated toxicity controversies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.