BAUDELET ENVIRONNEMENT transforms wastes, even final wastes, into eco-products

Processes for reusable wastes:
- aluminum wastes à re-melted aluminum ingots
- plastic bottles à plastic PET tubes
- raw wood waste à concentrated wood briquettes since February 2011, subsequent to buyout of the Autrement Bois firm.

In response to the impacts produced by non-recyclable wastes:
Baudelet Environnement has decided to also take advantage of the impacts from its Non-Hazardous Waste Storage Facility, where non-recyclable final wastes are stored, i.e.:

 - BIOGAS has been reused for its energy value since 1990, which ensures the company pays the lowest possible General Tax Rate on Polluting Activities. The fermentation of organic matter from wastes triggers the creation of a gas containing in large part methane, i.e. biogas. Baudelet Environnement possesses a network of installed pipelines and wells designed to recover biogas. Instead of destroying this gas using flare towers, the company has initiated a biogas recovery and reuse process; the gas is being used to produce electricity, which then gets resold to the ERDF network grid by operating 2 lean-burn gas generators (2.12 MW). This recovered biogas is also introduced to raise the temperature of the aluminum smelter furnaces, as well as to feed the leachate evapo-concentrator, thereby keeping natural gas use to a minimum. The Baudelet Environnement Group is targeting a 93% reuse rate (vs. 90% currently), which is well above regulatory requirements.

-LEACHATES (for which no dumpsite is available), derived from rainwater having percolated through stored wastes, has been transformed into windshield washer fluid since 2010. Collected, pumped and then treated, nearly 60,000 m3 of leachates are processed annually. A portion of the demineralized water generated is discharged into the natural environment, with another portion feeding the aluminum smelter; since 2010, the company has been producing a natural and 100% biodegradable windshield washer fluid for use in employees' personal cars as well as the company's fleet. As of 2011, this product has been sold basically at cost price in the company's 6 retail outlets. Objective: enhance the image of recycling.