The waste-to-sand plant that could pave the way for China’s zero waste coal goal

In China’s premier coal province Shanxi, a massive project that converts ultra-hard coal waste into high-value industrial materials – has begun operations, bringing the country’s zero waste goal for the fossil fuel industry a step closer.The project – in Gaoping, a county-level city in Shanxi’s southeast – is producing 1,000 tonnes per day of building and industrial materials, including sand and gravel aggregates used in construction, according to the local government.In an article published in mid-May, the provincial authorities said the materials were derived from the main solid waste generated during mining and washing, called coal gangue.