Are you planning to renovate an old fire place or thinking about replacing that old garden path of yours. Great, so what are you going to do with all of these left over bricks? Here’s a great tip: recycle them and put them to good use.
Bricks are made of shale which is a lightweight rock that can be used for many purposes. Some bricks are also made of concrete, which is a compound of silicone, calcium and clay. All these materials are mined through costly techniques that expose the environment to risk. If old bricks can be recycled, the raw materials can be reutilized, which will decrease mining.
Bricks fall into the category of construction and demolition waste. A couple of years ago, they could only be sent to landfills. As time passed and new technologies developed, waste management companies came up with ways to recycle concrete, bricks and other construction debris. The primary challenge in recycling all these materials was the weight and bulkiness, but new methods have gotten around these obstacles.
There are many waste management companies that will pick up construction waste. But there is still a problem. Most of these usually cater to contractors rather than homeowners. Still, search around and you will come across one that does. These companies chip bricks, which are used for landscaping purposes. Bricks can also be crushed and can be used as a replacement of sand for running tracks or baseball diamonds. At times, the crushed material is also utilized to construct bricks once more.
What if you do not find a waste management company that takes used bricks? Well, there are other ways to recycle bricks. We know quite a few people who like to construct their home from old bricks to give it a traditional appearance or use these bricks for constructing models of ancient structures. You can give away your bricks to these people, and they will actually pay you for them in most cases. Plus, there are many places that sell used construction materials. They might also be interested in buying bricks from you.
According to a study, 29% of the total waste produced in the country is construction waste. Play your part – reduce this figure – and recycle all left over bricks from projects.
Source: www.1800recycling.com
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