Posted on June 17, 2026
As China tries to reduce pressure on rivers and quarries, coal waste accumulated over decades is beginning to find new use in construction, in automated factories that transform toxic waste into sand, gravel, unburned bricks, and other industrial materials.
China accumulates about 7 billion tons of coal waste and has started transforming part of this environmental liability into sand, gravel, and bricks for construction, in an attempt to reduce the impacts of mining and natural sand extraction.
Coal waste becomes raw material in Shanxi
In Gaoping County, in southeastern China, a recycling facility has begun operations aimed at reusing coal gangue, an ultra-hard and toxic rock residue generated after coal mining and washing.
The unit is located in Shanxi, the country’s main coal-producing province, and operates with a daily production similar to that of a common quarry. About 1,000 tons of sand, gravel, and unburned bricks are destined for the construction sector.
The difference lies in the origin of the material. Instead of extracting sand from rivers or gravel from mountains, the factory uses accumulated coal waste, which historically represents an environmental problem for mining-dependent cities.
Technology separates, crushes, and purifies the waste
Coal waste can contaminate water, spread dust in the air, and cause spontaneous fires when not properly managed. Less than 60% of this volume has been reused, leaving a large mass of waste without productive application.
