Cement factories are known for their heavy pollution and high consumption of energy, but that is changing at some sites using proprietary technologies that enable kilns to treat city waste as well.

Huaxin Cement Co Ltd and Shanghai Building Material (Group) plan to jointly establish an environmental engineering company at Shanghai's Bailong Port, a demonstration area for the efficient use of construction materials.

Along with making cement, two production lines will have the combined capacity to treat 750,000 tons of sewage sludge and 1 million tons of industrial waste annually. The large project is now awaiting administrative approval.