This research presented, for the first time, the results of the successful application of the waste press sludges, WSLP (plant for lacquer and paint) and WSEP (powdery enamel plant), from a wastewater treatment plant generated during heating device production in the construction industry. The results of WSEP characterization and its influence on cement paste, mortar, and concrete properties showed that this material could be used as a cement replacement (with a maximum replacement amount of 20%) in producing mortar and concrete. Although waste WSLP sludge does not possess pozzolanic properties and does not meet the criteria prescribed by the standards for application in mortar and concrete due to its chemical inertness and fineness, as well as its extended setting time, it can be used as a replacement for stone filler or other powdered mineral admixture in the production of self-compacting concrete (SCC) in amounts up to 100%, with a maximum quantity of up to 100 kg/m³. The obtained results indicate that with the appropriate conversion, waste sludges, despite representing hazardous waste, can be used as safe products in the construction industry; i.e., the waste material can become a useful and valuable raw material by applying (respecting) all of the principles of the green economy.

This paper presents the results of the application of hazardous waste slag generated by lignite combustion for the adsorption of ethyl xanthate anions (EX) from aqueous solutions. The starting material (RWS) was washed (WWS) and modified (MWS) and then characterized in detail by using different chemical and physical–chemical techniques (determination of chemical composition and content of heavy metals, X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), determination of textural properties and point of zero charge). Besides the chemical stability of EX, the influence of the initial pH, mass of the adsorbent, initial concentration, and time on the EX anion removal was tested. The characterization results showed that applied waste slag is a hazardous material with complex mineral and structural properties but with good buffer properties and pH stability, which is also characteristic of the MWS sample. The adsorption experiments showed that modification with Cu(NO₃)₂ and Fe(NO₃)₃ significantly increases the adsorption capacity of the starting slag. Under applied experimental conditions, the maximal adsorbed amount of EX anions on the MWS was 210 mg/g, while equilibrium was obtained after 700 min. The Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order model best fit the results, suggesting the complex mechanism of EX removal by the MWS sample.