As the construction industry seeks to reduce its environmental impact, sustainability has become an all important focus. As most builders know, traditional brick manufacturing is an energy-intensive process that significantly contributes to carbon emissions. However, reclaimed brick company offers a much greener alternative by repurposing old materials and bricks, rather than producing new ones. This helps lower the carbon footprint of construction projects while also preserving resources. In this blog, we investigate how reclaimed bricks contribute positively to sustainability and why they should be considered for eco-friendly building projects.
The carbon footprint of brick production
New bricks are typically made by extracting clay rocks from quarries, shaping them, and firing them in high temperature kilns. This process consumes a huge amount of energy, often sourced from fossil fuels, which releases CO₂ emissions, therefore being bad for the environment. Brick manufacturing already contributes millions of tons of CO₂ to the atmosphere annually. Additionally, extraction of raw material depletes the planet's natural resources and disrupts our invaluable ecosystems, further increasing the environmental impact of brick production.
What are Reclaimed Bricks and how can they help?
Reclaimed bricks are salvaged from old buildings that are demolished and reused in new construction projects. These bricks are very carefully cleaned and sorted out to ensure they are structurally sound and able to be reused. As they have already undergone the extraction and firing process, this completely eliminates the need for further unnecessary energy consumption required with new brick production. Alongside their sustainability benefits, reclaimed bricks also offer unique aesthetic value by adding character to modern structures they are used in.
The use of reclaim bricks reduces carbon footprint exactly by reducing the high demand for new bricks, helping conserve natural resources and cut down on industrial emissions produced in the brick manufacturing process. Since no additional energy is required or used to fire them in kilns or cut stones into shape, their carbon footprint is much lower than that of newly manufactured bricks, which is a big positive when considering what material to construct with.
Reclaimed bricks also reduce waste in landfill drastically as construction and demolition waste contribute to a highly significant proportion of waste that ends up in landfills in this country. By reclaiming bricks we can make sure they are prevented from being discarded, which reduces landfill overflow and promotes the minimisation of waste. By repurposing construction materials, the industry is closer to achieving a circular economy, rather than utilising a model that damages the environment. The more reclaimed bricks are utilised, the more waste is reintegrated into our production cycles, which promotes sustainable building practices.
Locally sourced reclaimed bricks have much lower transportation emissions, and therefore a much smaller carbon footprint compared to newly manufactured bricks that are often transported long distances, throughout different countries. As bricks are generally quite heavy this means that transportation of them contributes considerably to high emissions. Using locally reclaimed bricks lowers the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation needs of the brick production line.
Reclaimed bricks are also more durable than some modern bricks because they were originally made using high-quality materials with traditional manufacturing techniques. Their long lifespan reduces the risk of them degrading which in turn reduces the need for replacements, meaning fewer materials are consumed over time, further decreasing the environmental impact of construction projects.
In the real world there are many examples of projects that have used reclaimed bricks to enhance sustainability and meet government set emissions goals. Many urban regeneration projects repurpose bricks from original buildings which are used to construct new homes and commercial spaces in city centers. Architects and designers with eyes for aesthetics see the many benefits of using reclaimed bricks, and can identify the need for building with sustainable practices.
We hope we have convinced you of the many benefits Reclaimed bricks provide, including the compelling solution for reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects. By eliminating the need for new brick production, minimizing waste, reducing transportation emissions, and offering long-lasting durability, reclaimed bricks present an eco-friendly alternative to newly manufactured materials. As sustainable building practices continue to evolve, builders should definitely consider incorporating reclaimed bricks into their projects.
Making sustainable choices like this will lead to a greener, more responsible construction industry for the future.
