Can You Recycle Concrete? (And Is It Sustainable?)

In this post, we will look at whether concrete is recyclable, and whether it is environmentally friendly.

Even if you have not used concrete before, you can already tell that the information on this page will be helpful to you. For you who have used concrete, then you shouldnt miss out on this information. So, what should you do to get the best out of this post? Well, thats simple! Relax, pay attention, and read between the lines. If you are ready to do this, lets get to it.

Is Concrete Recyclable?

Concrete is so much in great use today that hardly can you find a place where there has been no use of concrete during construction at all. As good as this is, it is important for us to consider the possibility of recycling this concrete. If, for instance, there is a demolition, where does the demolished concrete go? Well, lets find out together.

Yes, concrete is recyclable. Concrete might be the last thing on your list of recyclable materials, but it still possible for you to recycle it with ease. How do you do this, though?

Recycling concrete does not come as easy as it may sound. But, you have nothing to fret about. Recycling concrete is usually done through pulverizing or crushing the concrete. This is done with some industrial crushing tools with impactors and jaws.

After crushing it, the recycling station runs the concrete through another impactor (secondary) and screens the crushed concrete to separate the unwanted particles and dirt. Additionally, recyclers use magnets, separators and water flotation to remove the metal, dirt or other materials that may hamper the smooth recycling of the concrete.

Concrete recycling systems are capable of separating unused concrete into its original aggregate and grey water. The separated aggregate can be reused for future mixing and even recycled or separated from the gray water.

Is Concrete Sustainable?

When we ask if something is sustainable, it means that we trying to find out if we can continue to produce or use that thing without harming the environment. In other words, will the continuous production or use of this particular thing affect the environment positively? If it is not sustainable, it means that if we continue to produce or use the said thing, it will keep on harming the environment.

The continuous use of concrete has the tendency to harm the environment. This is simply based on the fact that concrete is not really biodegradable and therefore cannot easily decompose. But does that fully answer the question? Absolutely not. Stay with us as we give you the full answer to the question of whether concrete is sustainable or not.

Although concrete is not biodegradable, it is very much recyclable. That means it can be reusable almost indefinitely. There always will be applications for old concrete. This means that old concrete will really not affect the environment. Thus, concrete can be said to be sustainable.

So, in case you are in doubt about the sustainability of concrete, just know that, through conscious recycling, concrete can be sustainable. This alone makes a case for why you should always make attempts to recycle your demolished concrete each time you have the opportunity to do.

Conclusion

Concrete is one of the most important materials used globally. It is an important product in helping us achieve one of humans basic needs, which is shelter. However, its widespread use and popularity throw up some concern about its effect on the environment and sustainability. Contact UDO to find the ideal concrete recycling solution for you.