The recycling of inert materials
The recycling of construction and demolition waste is the alternative to the extraction of virgin raw materials. In Italy the recovery reaches percentages beyond the European legislation.
The recycling of aggregates is a topic of growing importance in waste management and environmental conservation. Aggregates, such as concrete, glass, ceramic and gravel, constitute a significant part of the waste generated by human activities. However, with the right recycling processes, these materials can be transformed into valuable resources, while reducing environmental impact.
Inert recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, extending the useful life of the latter and reducing the need to extract excessive natural resources to produce new materials. Furthermore, the recycling of aggregates can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of virgin materials.
The construction and demolition sector, in addition to representing the main flow of special waste at European and national level, also offers an enormous opportunity for recycling and reuse. In 2021 In Italy according to Ispra in the 2023 Special Waste Report, 47.7% of the total special waste derived from these activities, corresponding to 78.7 million tonnes.
In order to move towards a European recycling society with a high level of resource efficiency, the European Commission has deemed it necessary to include the waste flow generated by this sector among the priority ones to be monitored, establishing it in Article 11 of Directive 2008/ 98/EC relating to waste, a specific objective of preparing for the reuse, recycling and other types of recovery of material, including reclamation operations that use waste to replace other materials, equal to 70% to be achieved by 2020. The calculation methods for verifying the achievement of the objective were identified in Implementing Decision 2011/753/EC. Earth and rocks (European Waste List code 170504) and dredged materials (EER code 170506) are excluded from monitoring, amounting to 17.7 million tonnes and 93 thousand tonnes respectively.
The recycling of aggregates is a crucial practice for reducing the environmental impact of construction activities. These materials can be transformed and reused in numerous applications, such as the production of new concrete, asphalting roads and building infrastructure. 80.1% of construction and demolition waste is currently recovered in Italy through inert recycling, exceeding the 70% target set by the directive.
The inert recycling process begins with the collection and separation of the materials to be recycled. These materials are then shredded and crushed to reduce them to the desired size. Subsequently, the selection and removal of contaminants such as plastic, wood or metals takes place. After this stage, the materials can be used in various applications, such as the production of recycled concrete, road construction and the redevelopment of brownfield sites.
Equipment
Aggregate recycling equipment is a fundamental tool in the process of recovering and reusing inert materials from construction and demolition activities. This equipment is designed to separate, shred, crush and screen inert materials, allowing different types of materials, such as concrete, bricks, rocks and asphalt, to be separated for subsequent reuse.
Common equipment used for aggregate recycling includes:
Crushers (mobile or stationary): These machines are designed to reduce the size of inert materials into smaller fragments, which can be easily handled and transported for subsequent processing or reuse. Also available on the market are crusher buckets mounted directly on the excavator, which crush the material on site.
Screens: Screens separate inert materials based on their size and shape, allowing materials of different grain sizes to be separated for reuse in different applications. Screening buckets are available, which are applied to earthmoving machines and carry out the selection of materials.
Magnetic Separators: These devices are used to separate ferrous materials from non-ferrous materials, allowing the recovery of ferrous metals for reuse in other applications.
Aggregate recycling equipment plays a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability in the construction and demolition sector, reducing the consumption of natural resources and the environmental impact of activities.
Environmental benefits of inert recycling:
Recycling aggregates brings a series of significant environmental benefits. It reduces the need to exploit natural resources, such as sand and gravel, which are increasingly rare and expensive to extract. Furthermore, it helps reduce the environmental impact linked to the extraction and transport of virgin materials, which require considerable energy consumption and can cause damage to local ecosystems. Recycling aggregates also helps reduce air and water pollution associated with the production of new materials.
NEWS
