Since 3000BC, concrete has been one of the primary foundations on which we’ve built our society. Strong, accessible and affordable, you’ll find concrete in every single one of the 195 countries in the world, making it just as ubiquitous as food, water and oxygen in some ways!
But in recent years, concrete has met its match: recycled concrete. For many reasons, recycled concrete is the far better option over its non-recycled relative. In this post, we’ll look at the top three advantages of using recycled concrete over virgin aggregate, thanks to the experts at Recycled Concrete Products.
The three main advantages:
There are three key advantages of using recycled concrete, rather than virgin concrete. These are affordability, sustainability and product quality. Let’s discuss further below:
1) Affordability
If you think about it, have you ever bought something second-hand that cost more than what it cost when new? While there are a few exceptions (houses, vintage cars, collectibles, art), in most cases, it’s the opposite. Buying second-hand is almost always the cheaper option, and recycled concrete is just the same.
Recycled concrete is cheaper than basically every virgin aggregate being produced. This is because recycled concrete has a much more efficient process, and costs far less to produce. Crushed concrete is much more affordable than gravel, for example, if you’re looking at pebble driveway options.
2) Sustainability
Here’s where the advantage of recycled concrete really becomes clear: sustainability. The cement industry contributes to an astonishing eight per cent of carbon emissions world-wide, which has a devastating effect on climate change. Recycled aggregates, however, contribute over 50 percent less CO2 than the process required to create virgin aggregates. Newly extracted quarry aggregates produce between 6900g and 7300g of CO2 equivalent per tonne of concrete, but recycled aggregate produces just 3000g of CO2 equivalent per tonne.
It also spares new aggregates from being mined, and old concrete from going to landfill. And, it’s actually cheaper to recycle concrete than it is to send it to landfill.
3) Product quality
If you choose a reputable concrete recycling business, the product quality of recycled concrete is always going to be equal to (if not higher than) that of virgin aggregates. It’s just like recycled bottles and cans: the ones you buy off the shelf have been recycled hundreds, if not thousands, of times before without any compromise to product quality.
There we have it: three amazing advantages of recycled aggregates. Recycled Concrete Products are your go-to team for recycled aggregates on the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter Valley. Premium quality recycled aggregates at discount prices are guaranteed, keeping your costs low and our beautiful region cleaner. Visit us at Recycled Concrete Products for all the materials you need for your next concrete project.