Lafarge North America dedicated its new Northampton, Pa.-based Plastic Derived Fuel (PDF) facility in early June. The facility's dedication marks the continuation of Lafarge's commitment to the environment and to the use of sustainable resources. The PDF program not only reduces Lafarge's reliance on fossil fuels like coal, but also prevents more than 10,000 tons of locally generated plastic from being dumped into landfills each year.

“Lafarge has a long history of technological innovation regarding the use of alternative fuels in the Lehigh Valley. By adding plastic derived fuel to our alternative fuel supply, the Whitehall Plant will further reduce our dependency on non-renewable fuel,” said Lafarge Whitehall (Pa.) Plant Manager Munzer Ghosh.“The combined use of tires and plastic as alternative fuel sources will account for nearly 50% of the total energy needed to operate our kilns that produce high quality cements used in and around the Lehigh Valley.”

“This new PDF facility is a cornerstone of progress and innovation,” said Tony Pristash, president, Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce. “Lafarge is a great neighbor in the area, and this project is a success for both the environment and the community.”

The PDF process was founded on two basic principles: plastic items have a high-energy content; and burning such plastic yields energy capable of being utilized as an alternative to burning environmentally harmful fossil fuels. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection granted Lafarge permits to use PDF after months of rigorous testing showed PDF is a safe, clean, and viable source of alternative fuel for the Whitehall plant.

“By moving facilities like this towards alternative fuels, Lafarge is out ahead in the industry and has acted as a leader,” said Thomas Fidler, deputy secretary, Office of Waste, Air & Radiation Management, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “This falls right into the energy industry strategic plan Governor Rendell is currently pursuing.”

Through a safe and simple process, Lafarge transforms plastics into fuel for their Whitehall facility. After Lafarge obtains plastic items from a local recycling plant or business, the items are re-sorted, re-sized and shredded at the new processing facility in Northampton. The shredded plastic is then trucked to the Lafarge plant, where it is injected into kilns and burned as fuel for the plant.

The PDF program supplements Lafarge's Tire Derived Fuel program, which has disposed of more than 22 million unwanted tires and conserved more than 200,000 tons of natural, nonrenewable fuel. Together these two fuels sources reduce plant emissions and can provide up to 50% of the fuel required by the Whitehall plant.

Plant Manager Ghosh joined Deputy Secretary Fidler and other local officials to dedicate the new PDF facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Northampton, Pa., which was followed guided tours of the new plant the shredding process before the plastic derived fuel was trucked to the Whitehall plant.

Lafarge's Whitehall facility is the oldest operating Lehigh Valley cement plant, established in 1899. The plant employs more than 100 full-time people and has operated for more than three years without a lost-time accident. Since 1993, its Tire Derived Fuel Program has reduced plant emissions, conserved nonrenewable coal fuel, and eliminated and recovered energy from millions tires that would have otherwise be landfilled. Winner of the Environmental Excellence Award from the Portland Cement Association, the Whitehall plant is certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council.