Non-recyclable trash that usually ends up in landfills could help reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry by replacing fossil fuels in cement production. Researchers at Adelaide University have reviewed how refuse-derived fuel, or RDF, could address both waste problems and pollution from cement manufacturing.
Cement is essential for building roads, bridges, and buildings, but making it produces about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Making cement needs very high heat in industrial kilns, which usually comes from burning coal and other fossil fuels. At the same time, large amounts of burnable, non-recyclable waste are sent to landfills every day. By turning this waste into fuel and burning it with traditional energy sources, a method called co-processing, factories can use less coal.
Ph.D. candidate Geethmi Thisakya from the School of Civil Engineering and Construction led the review, with Dr. Navodana Rodrigo, Dr. Chamitha Wijewickrama, and Professor George Zillante.
The team reviewed 211 academic papers published from 1991 to July 2025, focusing on 48 articles and seven regulatory documents. Thisakya noted that linking waste management to reduced industrial emissions requires more than replacing coal with trash. It also requires consistent fuel quality, strong regulations, and clear evidence of economic and environmental benefits.
The study also found that many people confuse refuse-derived fuel with solid recovered fuel (SRF), which is a more strictly defined type of waste fuel. Different terms and quality standards make it hard for the industry to compare studies, follow laws, and ensure safe kiln operations. Better quality control and clearer rules will help cement makers feel more confident about using waste-based fuels.
The researchers say that while reusing and recycling materials should still come first, RDF is a good option for burnable trash that cannot be recycled. They suggest that future research should improve how fuels are classified and test how these alternatives work in different industries and regions.