Concrete Recycling: Sustainable Practices for a Greener Future
Concrete is the second most used material on the planet, with approximately 30 billion tonnes of concrete being used worldwide, per year. As a result, concrete is estimated to be responsible for 7.5% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. General construction, demolition and excavation waste makes up for over a third of all waste generated in Europe. These statistics highlight the large environmental impact that concrete and the general construction industry has.
This is why there has been such a heavy push for a movement from the typical linear economy, in which materials are extracted to be used and then waste is produced, to a circular economy. A circular economy is one where reuse and regeneration of materials and products is emphasised, in order to continue production of concrete in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
What is Concrete Recycling?
This leads onto the importance of concrete recycling. Concrete recycling is simply the process of crushing the rubble of demolished concrete, and using this concrete, as well as the aggregates in the concrete, for further concrete production and use.
The Concrete Recycling Process
Once concrete rubble is transported to recycling facilities, it is crushed and sorted by size. This ensures that finer aggregates can be used for their specific applications, whereas the larger pieces can be processed further. Metals, impurities and contaminants are then removed from the concrete to be recycled safely. Recycled concrete is then tested to ensure that it meets that necessary standards for its new construction projects.
The Environmental Benefits of Concrete Recycling
One of the largest environmental benefits of concrete recycling is the reduction of the construction industry’s carbon footprint. The use of recycled concrete reduces the need for new extraction of materials, such as sand, water and gravel, which is typically a very energy-intensive process that emits high levels of greenhouse gases. The carbon footprint is also reduced further, as there can often be a large amount of transportation involved in sourcing these materials.
Additionally, using recycled concrete helps to reduce the strain put onto these finite natural sources, which are becoming scare, due to their intense usage. Recycling concrete leads to less extractions from the Earth, therefore helping to preserve these resources.
There is also less landfill waste when using recycled concrete. The lower levels of concrete demolition waste going into landfills can lead to increased nature preservation. This can even have cost benefits for a business, as it can reduce the high costs that are associated with landfill levies.
The Greener Future of Construction & Concrete
The construction industry is ever-changing, and is taking more steps than ever to become an environmentally conscious industry. Concrete recycling is just one of the ways that construction firms can contribute to becoming more environmentally friendly.
At Utranazz, we are dedicated to make a commitment towards a more environmentally construction industry. We offer a range of electric concrete equipment to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with machinery usage. Additionally, we offer a large range of U-Block Moulds that can be used to turn excess waste concrete into concrete blocks, that have a variety of different uses.
If you would like to contact us about any queries regarding environmentally conscious concrete equipment, or concrete equipment generally, you can do so via our enquiry form, via telephone at +441280820770 or via email at [email protected] – we look forward to hearing from you soon!