All industries are coming under pressure to operate in a more sustainable way, in particular, the construction industry. One of the best ways to do this is to use reclaimed material that has previously been used in building projects and giving them a fresh purpose. These materials can be resized, adapted and refinished or remain in their original form as a recycled material.
Recycled materials can include things such as ceramic tiles, roofing, bricks, metal, stone and timber. It also possible to keep original items of interest, such as using old roof beams or an original fireplace.
The construction industry is one of the most important areas where recycling and sustainability can make a real difference. This creates a huge impact on the environment as there is currently an annual rate of about 6 tons of waste per person in the UK. It also accounts for 18% of carbon emissions and about a third of all UK waste. The use of reclaimed materials can significantly reduce the impact on the environment.
Reclaimed materials can be sourced from demolition sites or during re-modelling projects. It is essential that the materials are unloaded and disassembled in a manner as to maintain their integrity, so that they can be sold and recycled. This is the opposite of construction and thus, known as deconstruction. For a reputable Birmingham Demolition company, visit a site like https://www.hammerjack.co.uk/
These reclaimed materials can also be found in the reclamation yard, where salvage and other rescue specialist businesses sell on.
There is much work to be done, however, in spreading the word about the benefits of using reclaimed materials. Currently, only 1% of the materials used in new building projects come from reclaimed goods. Barriers to the use of reclaimed goods include the cost of storing and transporting materials between sites, salvage company supply chains not being able to handle large orders and the restricted use of some reclaimed materials.
Sustainable development can only really happen when the demolished building material can be kept out of the waste cycle and be re-used in other projects nearby. There are huge possibilities for lowering the amount of rubbish going directly to landfill by re-purposing and re-using instead. If previously used materials from a site are used in a fresh project, there is little effect on the environment and a significantly reduced carbon footprint, even when there is still considerable transport involved.