A Guide To Recycled Construction Aggregates

Aggregates are an essential part of the construction industry. Many of us never think twice about them but our roads, buildings, pathways, bridges, walls etc. are all largely made up of aggregate materials. With aggregates required on such a large scale, it is vital  for the preservation of our environment that we use recycled materials wherever we possibly can.

SCB are a leading supplier of recycled aggregates in Oxfordshire, keep reading to find out the many benefits of using recycled materials for construction and to learn more about our services.

What are aggregates?

The term ‘aggregates’ refers to granular materials which are most commonly used in construction, such as sand, gravel, stone, concrete and bricks. They are originally taken from the earth’s natural resources, extracted from quarries/pits.

Recycled aggregates are reprocessed materials that have previously been used in construction projects. For instance the remains of a building that has been demolished, or concrete that has been dug up.

The benefits of recycled aggregates

An estimated 200 million tonnes of construction aggregates are used in the UK each year. However, this number is rising and with a growing population, there is increasing demand for new infrastructure and more houses to be built. As a result, it is more important than ever that we seek sustainable solutions going forwards.

In the past, aggregates from demolition and construction sites were taken to landfill, yet now the benefits of recycling these materials are starting to be realised.

There are a number of environmental and economic advantages to using recycled aggregates. Here are just a few:

• They are less expensive to produce than natural materials, which means they are cheaper to buy for construction contractors and domestic consumers.
• If recycled materials are available more locally, this can help to save on transportation costs.
• They significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill, helping the UK to meet landfill capacity targets.
  
  
• Using recycled aggregates reduces the demand to produce more natural aggregates, which means less of the earth’s natural resources will be used up.
  
  
• Contrary to common misconceptions, they are just as strong and as durable as natural aggregates.  

SCB Oxford Ltd

SCB Oxford Ltd are specialists in grab hire and muck away services in the Oxfordshire area. We recycle over 90% of all the waste we remove from both our domestic and commercial customers. At our recycling facility in Abingdon, we process this waste and produce high quality aggregate materials such as:

• Crushed concrete 6F5
• Recycled type 1
• Recycled 80-40 Clean Stone

As well as the above, we can also provide building sand, sharp sand and type 1 MOT Limestone in any quantity you may require. 

To speak to our team about the supply of aggregate materials for your next construction project in Oxfordshire, call 01865 820064.