Sustainable alternative: granova® aggregates made from IBA

Using the residues, i.e. the raw bottom ash, of municipal solid waste incineration in Energy-from-Waste plants as a resource, we produce mineral construction materials that can be used as a substitute for primary aggregates. Among the main applications for granova® are roads and earthworks, concrete production and landfill construction. granova® incinerator bottom ash (IBA) is only produced and marketed by REMEX and its subsidiaries, which have subscribed to a rigorous quality control. The REMEX Group in total handles more than 2.5 million tonnes of incinerator bottom ash per year, extracting the metals for recycling and re-using the aggregates as quality secondary construction material.

granova® is unique

granova® differs from other IBAA because of its quality. We were the first producers of IBAA holding the KOMO® certification for use as aggregate in concrete. To achieve this level of application, we are committed to improving the metal extraction rates and mineral quality. Our efforts are supported by our internal and external research initiatives. The results of these are demonstrated in our significant annual investments in plant technology. We are proud of our determination to ascertain better ways of using waste. This effort is rewarded by the market: we are the only mineral recycling brand serving customers across several EU countries as well as in Asia.

TOP three reasons for granova®

granova® is truly sustainable
Landfill space is limited and landfilling is expensive. Re-using incinerator bottom ash (IBA) contributes significantly to saving valuable landfill space. Also, natural habitat is protected as the use of primary resources such as sand and gravel can, in part, be replaced by IBA.

granova® is highly economical
Using secondary materials such as incinerator bottom ash aggregates (IBAA) as alternative construction material is a very cost-efficient solution for many construction projects. The reason: due to its origin from waste, IBAA is competitively priced below primary materials.

granova® is part of the circular economy
Processing material to the best quality possible and re-using secondary and recycled aggregates means putting the idea of a circular economy into practice.

The economic benefits explained

Residents pay for the collection of municipal waste through their taxes. If the waste is burnt in EfW plants, around 25 % of the initial waste remains in the form of incinerator bottom ash (IBA). The operators of the incinerator plants contract specialised companies to collect this material.

The bottom ash is treated to remove and recycle valuable metals. The mineral residue is often sent to a landfill site at significant cost. However, if the mineral residue is treated to granova® quality, it can be used as construction material in roads, earthworks or concrete products, diverting it from landfill space. Since IBA is a by-product, it can be very competitively priced compared to natural aggregates, often resulting in signficant cost savings for the construction project.

Recovery of incinerator bottom ash is ecologically and economically valuable