Recycling has come a long way
in the past few years. As global warming becomes more and more obvious, people
are beginning to focus on what they can do to eliminate rubbish and to redefine
solid waste management.
It’s the responsibility of
everyone on the planet to work on recycling. We all have a stake in how things
turn out for our planet, so it’s important that we focus on how we can improve
it. With things like plastic and concrete and tin sticking around for many
years, it’s important to learn to recycle it.
Waste
Management
Waste management has always
been a tricky area, because you have to move rubbish from one place to another.
However, as we learn more about how to recycle, it becomes more feasible to
break down the waste and turn it into something useable.
It’s also simpler for
individuals and companies to look at local skip hire for their waste
management. This allows homeowners to fill a skip with their no longer needed
items, instead of simply hauling them to the nearest landfill site to drop everything
off. However, the biggest change has been in construction waste management.
At one point, construction
companies had to find areas to just dump their rubble and excess dirt. Now, it
can be put to good use. When a building is demolished, the concrete is taken to
be recycled and crushed. It is then formed into aggregates, which can be used
in construction. Since the rubble can be broken down as much or as little as
necessary, you can end up with a wide variety of aggregates that are available
in different grades for use in a number of different construction areas.
Recycled aggregates
include everything from soil to filler,
including:
- Sand
- Topsoil
- Crushed stone
- Crushed concrete and tarmac
You’ll find other options, as
well, but if you are trying to mix concrete for a construction project, you may
find that these recycled options are more economical than others. In addition,
you’ll be helping the environment, since tarmac and concrete tend not to break
down very quickly.
Waste
Recycling Innovations
Many countries are now
looking at new ways of using recyclable items. Plastic, for example, is a big
pollutant on the planet and it comes in everything from packaging to toys. Even
in the world of construction, plastic abounds. The problem is, this petroleum-based
product doesn’t break down in nature and it is the cause of some pretty
unpleasant deaths among animals, particularly sea creatures.
Fortunately, we’re developing
new ways to incorporate waste into recycled materials that work for us. Here
are a few examples:
Plastic
Roads
In several countries,
including the UK, plastic waste is being turned into roads. Plastic is broken
down into small bits and then mixed into the hot asphalt and used to lay roads.
The plastic melts right into the mixture and becomes an integral part of it.
There are several advantages to this method.
Firstly, plastic doesn’t
break down, so it helps hold the road together. It means that there will be
fewer cracks, potholes, and general wear and tear on the roads because they
hold up to traffic much better. The plastic also tempers the bitumen and helps
protect it from the heat and friction from wheels.
Finally, the plastic fills up
the small holes in the road and makes it far more resistant to water than
regular asphalt. This means potholes aren’t as likely to form. The overall life
of this type of road has yet to be tested, but so far, it looks like these
plastic roads will easily outlast the other types.
Heating
Homes
In some countries, recycled
waste is actually used as fuel for homes. It’s a simple way to eliminate the
waste while burning it for fuel. To prevent issues with environmental
pollution, these waste products are usually burned at a very high rate to
ensure they are completely burned up and only certain products can be used to
avoid releasing chemicals into the air.
Giant
Compost Sites
When it comes to organic
waste, more and more cities are offering compost sites. Cardboard, paper, soil,
and grass clippings, as well as other biodegradable items, can all be dumped
there and turned into compost. Due to the highly efficient methods used, the
compost is produced rather quickly and helps everything break down faster.
The resulting compost can
either be sold or used in municipal projects, such as community gardens. It’s a
good way to keep waste out of the landfills and to help it benefit the planet
faster than if left to rot on its own.
Roads
from Crushed Concrete and Bricks
When your construction site
has too much masonry that has been half-ruined, it can be crushed and used to
create bases for roads and even foundations for highway projects. What
originally looked like a disaster can be quickly turned into something useful
and helpful to the environment.
The best part about this is
that even mixed materials that include rocks, bricks, and concrete, can be
crushed for use as aggregates in the laying of roads. They don’t even need to
be separated and can be used as-is to create the cushion that allows highways
and streets to flex a bit as traffic moves over them.
Sand
Construction sand is becoming
a rare commodity in some places at this point. Recycling existing concrete and
products from construction and demolition can turn old products into sand and
quickly recover the missing sand needed for further construction projects. In
countries where sand is expensive and difficult to come by, this could be the
ideal solution and provide a way to reuse rubble and old masonry without simply
dumping it into landfills where it would sit for many decades.
More and more ways to recycle
items are being discovered as scientists dive into the project. There is so
much rubbish in the world that it would be a very good thing to reuse some of
it. The more we can recycle, the less our impact on the planet.
How You
Can Get Involved
The simplest way to start
getting involved is to ensure that you have skip hire
services whenever working on a
construction site. There are so many materials that will go to waste if they
aren’t recycled, so look for a company that will take all your rubble and turn
it into something useful. For example, if you have to pull out a lot of
concrete or bricks, you can make sure that you are sending it to a company that
will use it as an aggregate.
You can also make a point of
buying aggregate and recycled topsoil for your construction projects. This
helps prevent new materials from being used and it also helps grow the
recycling industry by funding it. The end result is the same, but you get lower
prices and help the environment. It’s a win-win situation.
Another way you can start
using recycled items is by looking for used or preowned construction items,
like windows, doors, and even bathtubs, etc. These are all items that have been
taken out of a home and then sold. They are usually in excellent condition.
Alternatively, you could sell anything like this that you pull from a
demolition project. Windows, faucets, doors, and even siding and flooring can
all be reused if care is taken with the removal.
Remember that we only have
one planet and while you’re saving it, you can also save some money.
Construction companies are in a unique position to really do some good, because
they can use all kinds of recycled products in the building of the home or
office and it doesn’t affect the outcome of the end project. In fact, you’ll
find that it is just as high quality as if you used brand new products.
If you are serious about
making sure that recycling is part of the world of construction, then team up
with a company like Graham Churchill to start reusing items and products.
There’s no shortage of recycling options in the world, we just need to make use
of them.
Are you looking for skip hire
or want to start using recycled materials in your construction projects?
Contact Graham Churchill and find out how we can help you save the environment
today.
