HERACLES GROUP

To transform waste and industrial by-products into valuable secondary resources for the production of building materials, reducing landfill disposal, dependence on virgin natural resources and CO₂ emissions, while accelerating the transition from waste management to a truly circular construction model.

Municipalities, industries, construction companies, building-material customers, waste-management organizations, recycling-system operators, local communities and society at large.

Ongoing initiative, with significant scaling and investment during 2025.

HERACLES Group, through Geocycle and its production facilities, has developed an integrated circular-economy ecosystem that connects waste sorting, recovery and processing with the use of recovered materials as secondary raw materials and alternative fuels.

The model covers Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) management, recovery of recyclable materials, biomass utilization and the use of secondary resources at the Group’s Volos and Milaki cement plants. In 2025, both plants were recertified at Zero Waste to Landfill – PLATINUM level, demonstrating the maturity and effectiveness of the Group’s circular approach.

The initiative goes beyond conventional waste management. Its defining feature is the creation of closed material loops, in which materials that would otherwise be discarded are recovered and returned to productive use, reducing dependence on virgin resources and fossil fuels.

ECOCycle® further strengthens this approach by bringing circularity directly into construction. It represents the next step in closing the loop for construction and demolition materials: recovering mineral resources from existing buildings and infrastructure and enabling their reintegration into new building solutions. Together, HERACLES, Geocycle and ECOCycle® connect waste recovery, industrial symbiosis and circular construction within one integrated value chain.

The initiative therefore addresses two critical challenges for the built environment simultaneously: decarbonization and resource circularity. It demonstrates how waste can be transformed from an environmental burden into a productive resource, creating environmental, economic and societal value at scale.

The initiative is implemented through cooperation with municipalities, industries, customers, collective recycling systems, construction companies and organizations across the recycling and waste-management value chain. These partnerships enable waste streams to be transformed into reliable secondary resources and reintegrated into productive processes.

Cross-functional teams from Geocycle, production, environment and sustainability, technical services, logistics, quality, Health & Safety and commercial functions contribute to the initiative, together with specialized partners in Construction and Demolition Waste management. Their combined expertise enables the safe collection, processing, quality control and productive use of secondary materials and fuels.

Across Greece – through Geocycle Material Recovery Facilities, Construction and Demolition Waste management facilities, biomass-management operations and the HERACLES cement plants in Volos and Milaki.

The initiative delivered substantial and measurable environmental impact in 2025:

The use of secondary raw materials generated CO₂ savings of 34,012 tonnes, a 24% increase compared with 2024.
Secondary fuels and biomass accounted for 46.7% of the thermal energy mix at the Volos and Milaki plants.
The use of secondary fuels avoided approximately 153,300 tonnes of CO₂.
Combined, secondary raw materials and fuels contributed to CO₂ savings of more than 187,300 tonnes.
More than 44,400 tonnes of plant-based waste were diverted from landfill, corresponding to approximately 48,500 tonnes of CO₂ savings.
Investments supporting the circular-economy transition exceeded €24.5 million.
The Volos and Milaki plants maintained the highest Zero Waste to Landfill – PLATINUM certification level.

Beyond these figures, the initiative creates a scalable circular-economy model for municipalities, industries and the construction sector. It provides reliable outlets for difficult waste streams, reduces landfill dependence and demonstrates that recovered resources can substitute virgin materials and fossil fuels without compromising industrial performance.

The initiative strengthens HERACLES Group’s resilience and competitiveness by reducing exposure to virgin raw materials and fossil fuels, improving material and energy security and creating new circular-economy services and business opportunities.

At the same time, it enhances the Group’s environmental performance, supports customers seeking lower-impact construction solutions and strengthens HERACLES’ positioning as a partner for the transition toward low-carbon and circular construction.

By connecting Geocycle’s expertise in resource recovery with HERACLES’ production capabilities and the ECOCycle® circular-construction approach, the Group is building an integrated circular value proposition that turns environmental challenges into long-term value for customers, communities and the business.