Concrete is one of the most energy intensive, and hence, one of the most polluting substances used in modern building practices. It consumes a great deal of energy in the manufacturing process as well as the mining of aggregate materials. It is thought that concrete production may consume as much as 30% of the energy supplies in some Western nations.
The recycling of broken concrete into new materials, often called urbanite, is gaining a great deal of support among sustainable builders and local authorities, alike. Typically the broken concrete pieces are put in a crushing machine and reduced to smaller pieces that can be used as the aggregate in new concrete. Old rebar can simply be pulled out with powerful magnets. The energy savings are tremendous and the broken concrete is kept out of landfills. Best of all, urbanite is often free to anyone who wants to haul it away, making it an ideal fill product for many types of sustainable structures.
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