Can Concrete Be Recycled? Here’s What You Should Know

Recycled concrete is becoming more and more popular for contractors to use in various projects. After all, there’s a lot of concrete that gets left over when buildings are torn down, and it would be a waste for all of that concrete to go sit in a landfill somewhere when it can be repurposed for new projects instead. Concrete recycling is a highly beneficial and sustainable practice, and one you should take advantage of whenever possible when building with concrete.

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of concrete recycling in Toledo, OH:

• Save money: Both homeowners and contractors are able to save some cash by using recycled concrete. The materials cost significantly less to produce, which means you’ll be able to more inexpensively put down a foundation or base for your project than you would when using newly mixed concrete. This allows you to allocate more money to other areas of your project, or to just save that cash for other purposes.
• Durability: Recycled concrete has been shown in studies by the Federal Highway Administration to be very structurally reliable, just as much so as natural aggregate materials. You’ll be able to get the same strength and durability you’d expect out of standard concrete, while doing your part to create a more sustainable building project in the process.
• Environmentally friendly: As we’ve already alluded to a couple times, concrete recycling in Toledo, OH makes for a much more sustainable, environmentally-friendly project. If “green” building is a priority to you, this is one of the best solutions you can implement, as it will help to keep a lot of material out of landfills. Otherwise, you’d be relying more heavily on processes of harvesting and crushing stone, which takes up a lot of energy, natural resources and processing, not to mention time. By using old concrete, you give it new life, saving materials, money and resources. Keep in mind that concrete is not biodegradable, which means when you put it into a landfill it’s not going to decompose with the other items there.
• Versatility: Recycled concrete can be used in a wide range of construction applications, landscaping projects, home improvement projects and more. You’re not just limited to creating new pavement or foundations—there are all sorts of projects that require concrete that can be made out of recycled materials, and today’s concrete contractors are highly skilled in using these recycled materials in many different ways.

You’ll frequently find recycled concrete used in bases for new driveways, walkways or patios on residential properties, as well as in base materials for commercial parking lots and municipal roads. There are also plenty of circumstances in which recycled concrete can be used at a project entrance in general construction to avoid tracking mud all over the place.

To learn more about the various applications and advantages of concrete recycling in Toledo, OH, we encourage you to contact the team at Klumm Bros. We will be happy to answer any questions you have about the merits of this material!

Categorised in: Recycling