When undergoing a major building project, it’s unlikely that the first thing on your mind will be – how do I go about recycling construction materials? But, as efficiency in using renewable resources grows, it’s important to consider how your business can contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
By opting to maximise construction recycling on your site, you’ll be helping the environment, whilst also reducing your waste disposal costs.
Here at One Waste Clearance, we’re continually investing in our processing facilities, ensuring our customers’ waste is recycled where possible. Here, we’ve put together an expert guide on the types of waste which can be reprocessed, along with the benefits of recycling construction materials.
If you’d like to find out more about our waste management services, get in touch. Call us on 020 3974 2630 and speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable team members today.
Recycling on Construction Sites
According to Big Rentz here, 30% of building materials delivered to a construction site end up as waste. Also, their research states that the amount of annual construction waste is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025.
Educating yourself on how you can maximise construction recycling on your site will help to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, whilst also conserving natural resources.
Benefits of Recycling Construction Materials
There are many professional benefits that come with recycling construction materials on your site. The two main environmental advantages include energy savings and landfill waste reduction.
There are also multiple economic benefits related to the recycling of construction materials, including cost savings and green certifications. Choosing to optimise your waste disposal methods can reduce the cost of removal and transportation. Also, recycling lowers the demand for new resources, cutting distribution and production costs significantly.
Companies that choose to maximise construction recycling have a competitive edge in a crowded market. Sharing your passion for eco-friendly practices with potential clients will make you stand out from the crowd. This, in turn, will show customers that you truly care about your impact on the world.
Recycling on Construction Sites – Recyclable Materials
If you’re interested in recycling construction materials but don’t know which items can actually be sent for repurposing, we’re here to help.
There are many construction site materials that can be recycled, some of which you might not have considered before. These include:
Concrete, bricks & blocks
The most common reasons why you might need to recycle bricks and blocks on your construction site include them being damaged during unloading, storage issues or over-ordering.
Once recycled, brick can be used in concrete aggregate, fill and road base.
Wood
Most types of wood can be recycled. The main types of wood waste found on a construction site include pallets, crates, beams, doors, windows, floorboards, fencing and more.
Recycled wood can be used to make pathways, coverings, mulches, compost, animal bedding and particleboard.
Glass
The vast majority of glass waste is produced by demolition projects. The main causes of glass wastage are over-ordering materials, breakages during installation and damages during storage. You can recycle glass by crushing, screening, air classification, optical sorting, size classification and washing and drying.
Recycled glass can be used in a variety of ways, including to make decorative materials, insulation, ceramics and much more.
Metals
Like glass, metals can be repurposed into multiple items including furnishings, fixtures and lighting.
Aggregates
Concrete aggregate can be reused as a base under foundations, roads and railroads.
Plasterboard
Common sources of plasterboard waste on construction sites include off-cuts, damaged stock,, poor storage and over-ordering.
Standard, un-contaminated plasterboard can be added to an aerobic composting system.
Plastics
In construction, plastics are mainly used in pipework, insulation, wall coverings, interior fittings, window frames, scaffolding and kerbstones.
A range of plastics can be recycled including:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- High density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polystyrene
- ABS polymers
Plastic waste can be used to create repurposed packaging, textiles, clothing, street furniture and more.
Floor & wall coverings
Floor and wall covering materials such as ceramic tiles, wallpaper, carpets and laminate flooring can all be repurposed into a variety of things including animal bedding materials.
Insulation
The main causes of insulation waste on construction sites are over-ordering, ordering the wrong type of insulation, and poor handling.
Materials involved in insulation such as glass, stone wool and fibreboard can be transformed into concrete blocks, fibreglass board and fibreglass ceiling tiles.
How Can We Help?
At One Waste Clearance, we’re pleased to offer our customers professional, reliable and cost-effective waste disposal services.
If you’re looking to maximise the recycling of construction materials on your site, we’ve got you covered. We pride ourselves on providing environmentally conscious construction recycling skips. We also have our own waste transfer station, and are proud to be achieving a recycling rate of 98%!
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of recycling construction materials, or would like to enquire about our waste disposal services, please do get in touch. Call us on 020 8685 9393 and speak to one of our expert team members today.
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