Cemex Spain plant wins Europe's first Zero Waste mark

Cemex’s cement plant in Morata de Jalón, Spain, has become the first in Europe to receive AENOR’s ‘Zero Waste’ certification—recognising that 95% of waste generated at the site is now recovered or repurposed.

Awarded by the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification, the certificate confirms that at least 90% of the plant’s industrial waste is kept out of landfill and reintroduced into the value chain. Typical recovered materials include scrap metal, wood, paper and cardboard.

“This certificate is the result of the team at Morata’s constant effort to minimise our ecological footprint,” said Alfonso Conde, director of the Morata de Jalón cement plant. “Cemex is committed to practices that promote recycling, reuse, and material/energy recovery, and this recognition validates our efficient resource management strategy.”

Cemex said the certification was an important step in achieving the company’s wider climate goals, including net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Morata site also holds several other environmental accreditations, including the Government of Aragón’s Circular Seal, ISO50001 for energy efficiency, ISO14001 for environmental management, and the RSA+ seal for corporate social responsibility.

The site is part of Cemex’s broader decarbonisation and innovation strategy, which includes a target to reduce CO₂ emissions to below 430 kg per tonne of cementitious material by 2030 and to increase the use of alternative fuels and clean electricity across its operations.