Industries which use high temperature technology, such as cement kilns¹³, coal fired thermal power stations or foundries, usually have furnaces that operate at temperatures well in excess of 850°C, have long combustion retention times and disperse exhaust gases via tall chimneys, often to high altitudes. Many countries do not possess and cannot justify economically, expensive and sophisticated chemical waste disposal facilities, so the use of an industrial plant provides a viable and cheap alternative.

Cement kilns are particularly suited for the disposal of expired pharmaceuticals, chemical waste, used oil, tyres, etc. Several features of cement kilns make them suitable for pharmaceutical disposal. During burning the cement raw materials reach temperatures of 1450°C, while the combustion gases reach temperatures up to 2000°C. The gas residence time at these high temperatures is several seconds. In these conditions all organic waste components are effectively disintegrated. Some potentially dangerous or toxic combustion products become adsorbed into the cement clinker product or are removed in the heat exchange equipment.

Cement producers in many countries are keen to use alternative fuels, as their use reduces the fuel bill without adversely affecting the quality of the cement. With appropriate environmental impact control mechanisms in place there will be even less impact on the surrounding area. It is recommended that discussions be held with cement companies and the appropriate environmental agencies to arrange for waste to be disposed of using a cement kiln.

Pharmaceuticals should be introduced into the furnace as a reasonably small proportion of the total fuel feed. It is suggested that as a sensible "rule of thumb" no more than 5% of the fuel fed into the furnace at any one time is pharmaceutical material. Cement kilns typically produce 1,500 to 8,000 metric tons of cement per day and therefore quite large quantities of pharmaceutical material can be disposed of in a short period. It may be necessary to remove packaging and/or to grind the pharmaceuticals to avoid clogging and blockage of the fuel feed mechanisms.

Annex I gives more details of European Community regulations on high temperature incineration of hazardous wastes. Incinerators conforming to these regulations may be used for the disposal of halogenated compounds, X-ray contrast media and povidone iodine; lower temperature incinerators should not be used.