Building sites are one of the largest sources of refuse around the world. Debris such as concrete, bricks, sand and scrap metal are amongst the millions of tonnes of debris that end up in landfill every year. That needn’t be the case though. The good news is that all of these materials are recyclable!
Recycling is very important for a number of reasons. Firstly, depending on the type of waste, it is a huge drain on natural resources to simply throw building materials away instead of re-using them. Secondly, many items can contaminate the earth if they end up in landfill (for example, lead if it makes it way into groundwater). Lastly, landfill takes up huge amounts of space, and as many know in Australia, we are fast running out of room.
Recycling your building waste can be tricky without time on your hands and the right resources for the job. Whether you’re a weekend warrior doing some minor home renovations, or a construction company, give us a call today!
Bricks, Tiles and Concrete
Bricks, concretes and tiles have huge recycling value but are all too often discarded as worthless junk. Bricks can be used around the site, for example if they are set in softer mortar they can be reused in building, paving or in a garden. If bricks or concrete have too much cement around them (and are unsuitable for reuse), they can easily be crushed and used for aggregates, fill or paving gravel.
Scrap Metals
Scrap metals include anything from aluminium to steel to copper wiring. Disposing of these responsibly is very important. Most metal types are entirely recyclable and making sure you do your part can make all the difference when it comes to preserving our natural environment.
As an example, recycling steel saves a huge amount of resources over using raw iron ore, reducing air pollution, water wastage, energy and water pollution. Each tonne of scrap steel used over new steel saves over 1,000 kg of iron ore, 625 kg of coal and 50 kg limestone.
Paint
Paint contains chemicals that can contaminate our earth and water, which can be hugely detrimental to our environment, and threaten our health. These items cannot be disposed by normal means and must be recycled.
Some tips for reducing waste: Always buy the amount of paint you need for the immediate job and no more; never pour it down the drain; always store paint in the original container with the label visible so that it can be identified and reused easily.
Timber
Timber is one of the most recyclable materials on earth. It is also one of the most important items to recycle in order to preserve one of natures most precious resources: trees. Timber can re-milled and recycled for other uses. Whereas smaller cuts can be processed into woodchips for use in horticultural, agricultural and household markets.
Some timber, such as treated forms or painted sections, may not be able to be recycled due to the presence of paint and other contaminants. However, consider recycling these for use in other projects.
E-waste
E-waste from a building site may include everything from lighting to old computers and keyboards to fax machines and printers. Chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadium, hexavaliant chromium, arsenic and different fire retardants are often found in these items.
Many of these can be reused for a number of purposes. For example, many electronic products contain precious and valuable metals that can be melted down and reused.
Recycling Your Building Site Waste With Sydney Rubbish Services
There are a number of facilities around Sydney dedicated to recycling building site waste. However, these can be tricky to access without time and the right resources. As we’ve noted before, getting a helping hand from a rubbish removal service is far easier than doing it yourself.
Here at Sydney Rubbish Services, we always work with the environment in mind. We have access to all recycling facilities in Sydney and work with them regularly disposing building waste from our loyal customers. Give us a call today!
