You Can Recycle Concrete?

Experienced flipper and eco-enthusiast, Domonique Levesque, shows Greenovate viewers how to really green up the neighborhood. He works his renovation magic using energy efficient appliances and sustainable materials. One one episode, Domonique even installs a recycled concrete countertop! Didn't know you could recycle concrete? Yes, you can!

If you thought only aluminum cans and newspapers could be recycled, you may be missing out on some key greening initiatives. While some are figuring out where we can keep all the country’s garbage, others are investigating how we can reuse it.

Concrete is among the many items that create huge problems for landfills. Typically it arrives in extremely large quantities and has a tremendous lifespan. Now, environmentally savvy builders are taking perfectly good concrete out of the refuse system. The process is quite simple and in many cases the recycling starts at the demolition site.

First, the concrete is removed from the area. Demolition workers must be careful to keep it separated from other items because concrete with wood or metal imbedded in it cannot be recycled. Next, the concrete is put into a machine which crunches it into much smaller pieces. Sometimes large chunks must enter the system twice. The finished product can be used as gravel bases for roadways or to produce brand new blocks of concrete.

If you're in the process of demolishing a structure and want to save some cash, contact area contractors who specialize in recycling concrete. The process will significantly decrease the amount you'll have to pay to transport and dispose of concrete slabs. Plus, you'll be keeping perfectly useful material out of the waste system.