Waste from sugarcane is being put to good use — its ashes incorporated into building materials, based on a formula developed by researchers at Brazil's University of São Carlos. The waste from sugar and ethanol production — like straw and pulp — are burned to generate electricity, leaving ashes that are now being used as a component in mortar and concrete.

“The mortar currently in use mixes cement, sand and water, but our project uses sugarcane ash, after a process of sifting and milling, to replace 30 to 50 percent of the sand,” explained engineer Almir Sales, coordinator of the research project that is now testing the material's resistance.

“That substitution makes the mortar stronger and prevents the environmental degradation caused by taking sand from riverbeds,” he told Tierramérica.