The field of construction, urban planning and building have a strong impact on the urban environment and the identity and image of any locality. In addition to this merely aesthetic influence, they also involve a series of sustainability and environmental issues, which are of increasing concern among citizens. The truth is that the various construction and building processes generate a great deal of energy waste, tons of waste derived from the demolition or restoration of spaces, consumption of aggregates and considerable CO2 emissions into the atmosphere (currently 40% of the planet’s total CO2 emissions). For all these reasons, it is essential to start looking at other more responsible construction models, maintaining the growth of the economy, but making better use of natural resources as well as the management and use of waste.
Therefore, the industry and the citizens themselves must consider the Construction with recycled materials, also known as secondary materials. And the truth is that there are many practical options that these materials allow, while guaranteeing the circular economy without having to use raw materials.
In short, why resort to polluting materials, if we can replace them with a construction with recycled materials with a minimum environmental impact?
And that’s what we’ve come to talk about today, what are the best recycled materials for construction and how we could use them in the urban environment.
Construction with recycled materials in architecture and urban planning
Bricks made from recycled rubber and plastic waste
A very efficient and sustainable option to replace conventional walls are recycled rubber and plastic bricks, also called polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) bricks.This type of material represents a great saving in terms of construction costs, time and of course the use of raw materials.
Among its qualities are:
- Its high thermal insulation capacity
- Its lightness and lower thickness: Thinner and equally efficient walls can be built.
- High fire resistance: It is a material with a very low flame spread
- It is very sustainable: A single brick manages to reuse 20 plastic bottles and avoid the use of other materials for construction.
Despite its good qualities, this material is still not widely used today and is relegated to the construction of social housing and shelters.
Expanded polystyrene
Also known as EPS, expanded polystyrene is a material that allows many different applications, and not only in terms of packaging, but also in the construction sector. This material stands out for being almost entirely air and only 2% is plastic, being fully recyclable.
At the end of the useful life of this product, it is subjected to recycling processes that allow it to obtain expanded polystyrene again, extruded polystyrene (XPS) perfect for insulation on facades, floors and ceilings or used to produce energy.
Recycled concrete
This material is generated from recycled aggregates that come from crushed concrete waste. It should be noted that concrete is the most widely used material for construction, so reusing recycled concrete fragments would improve environmental impact, save transport and space in ecoparks, pollution by demolition waste and avoid the extraction of new aggregates.
Rubber from recycled tires
The rubber from old tires can also be recycled and used as building materials very different. Specifically thanks to its excellent Waterproofing and “cushioning” properties are an ideal material for both the insulation of roofs and roofs, as well as for the manufacture of padded areas in playgrounds. Además de estas propiedades es también un material a Highly resistant and highly durable.
Recycled steel
This type of material is used for structural elements such as columns, beams and joists. Recycled steel comes from metal components derived from scrap metal and can be 100% recycled without losing its quality, even after more than a hundred years. Así pues, reciclar el acero implica un tremendo Saving of raw materials (iron, water, energy and coal).
In addition to construction with recycled materials, there are other sustainable options that allow for improved sustainability. Examples of this are the manufacturing using 3D printing to convert plastic waste into street furniture or homes built using shipping containers (we will talk about this on another occasion).
On the other hand, under the current scenario, companies are proposing changes in their production processes and new organizations are emerging focused on products and marketing more sustainable and equally or more efficient recycled materials.
Let’s look at some examples!
Construction with recycled materials: 5 exemplary companies
Zicla’s TAMOC
This material is perfect for construction, has the shape of a rigid board and is obtained only from the crushed carpet of buildings and cars. It also has certain advantages such as how manipulable, light, decorative and resistant it is and has incredible characteristics such as heat, cold and sound insulation. Due to its attributes, it is an ideal material to be used as wall and floor coverings and insulation. This product is developed and marketed by the Catalan company Zicla
. Su propósito va ligado a dar una segunda vida a los residuos, transformándolos en materiales con una baja huella ambiental, que sirvan para la creación y restauración de espacios sostenibles.
ECOBoards: “Agricultural Boards”
The Dutch company ECOBoards produces modules and sheets made from agricultural waste. Estos paneles, llamados también ECOBoards, presentan una technical qualities superior to popular MDF woods or OSB boards. They are therefore a good example of construction with recycled materials, due to their insulation and resistance capacity.
Hisbalit: Quality, design and sustainability
It is a Cantabrian company that is dedicated to producing decorative mosaics of ecological glass of high quality and resistance.Hisbalit’s products are all made of 100% recycled glass and natural dyes, so they are fully recyclable and sustainable.
Platio: “Solar paving stones”
Platio is a company that manufactures solar pavements and makes them part of the environment. In addition to not taking up space and generating energy, the floors are made of plastic, rubble and recycled glass. On the other hand, they are an incredibleaesthetic highlight and their assembly is much simpler than typical rooftop solar panels. In addition, thanks to the energy stored by the photovoltaic panel and the integration of an LED system, it can be illuminated at night.
Making our planet a sustainable place is a higher priority every day, involving changes in all sectors, including building and urban planning. Through the Construction with recycled materials We are getting closer every day to ecological and innovative models to create homes and infrastructures that innovate and redefine traditional architecture
