We have all embraced recycling in our homes and it has now become a part of everyday western life; plastic bottles, cans, daily papers and glass bottles all have the ability to assist in cutting down on the excessive amount of landfill waste we collectively create. We are all reassured we are making a difference to the environment from our small contribution.
What about recycling on a larger scale? Have you ever wondered what happens to recycling within the building industry? With a plethora of empty buildings, warehouses and commercial offices there is an overwhelming opportunity to re-use a diverse range of aggregate materials. The sector is under increased pressure to reduce their impact on the environment with over 64% of waste in the Cyprus accountable to industry; trades such as concreting, plastering, tiling and insulation produce the most in terms of general waste; currently over 15% heading to landfill. Hard concrete has the largest opportunity to be re-used, in turn saving precious landfill space. Concrete is often crushed into rubble or gravel to be used again in construction. The crushed concrete has to go through a screening and grading process to ensure the final product is of the best grade and meets the criteria for the relevant project; there is no compromise on quality. There are many more options available depending on the product; crushing, reforming, refurbishing or a specialist technique known as 'cold lay' which uses 94% recycled aggregates, all of which aid the industry to reduce their impact on the environment. If industry continue to re-use aggregates the benefits to the environment could be huge. Fewer trucks on the road needed to deliver aggregate mean a reduction in air pollution and reliance on fossil fuels, as well as a reduction in gravel mining with recycled crushed concrete being used to fulfil this need. What are the benefits for non industry? Home owners are increasingly looking to recycled building materials for their personal projects. These materials can offer a daily papers that huge cost saving opportunity as they are naturally cheaper to produce than raw material. When a recycled material is used in replacement of a raw product, it saves on energy and natural resources are further preserved. In short we can conserve energy, reduce air and water pollution and reduce greenhouse gases. For example 70% less energy is used on recycled paper than producing the raw material. Value for money across the industry and for the consumer are a big driving force when looking to re-usable materials. With an increase of 23% in the construction of new homes, the highest level since 2008 and with a shortage of over 250,000 + homes nationwide, managing the impact on the environment is as important now as ever before.
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