Aggregate Recycling & Alternatives News

Throughout the Aggregate Resources Act review in early 2012 there was a common theme from industry and environmental experts alike that conceded that Ontario does not recycle as much aggregate as possible.   There are a few key reasons:

- Perception.  Belief that recycled products are not as good as virgin aggregate.  Aggregate industry representatives acknowledge that they have to do a better job of marketing recycled product to prospective buyers.

- Ready Market.  Current use is limited to the building of some roads, temporary roads for site access, backfill, pipe bedding.   Use needs to be widened.

- Specifications.  New specifications must be adopted, and contracts must be adjusted to specify use of recycled product.  (Luckily it is not necessary to start from scratch since there are other places in the world that use recycled aggregate.)

- Tonnage Fee.  All levels of Ontario government receive a fee for every tonne of aggregate extracted.  Such an arrangement is not in place for recycled product.

The aggregate industry is actively working to reduce the large piles of concrete and asphalt left from demolition sites and road reconstruction projects.  These materials take up valuable space and present a new opportunity for business.  See Aggregate Recycling Ontario.

Recycling facilities could be established near or on construction sites, which would be closer than the virgin aggregate mines.  This would save the transportation costs of virgin aggregate, the biggest cost factor.  For a contractor to dump demolition waste at a landfill and at the same time ship virgin aggregate from a pit or quarry adds enormous cost to a project.  Costs include the trucks, drivers, diesel, landfill fee and new aggregate purchase.  A major site, such as an airport or port, can dump as many as 3,000 cubic metres per day of building waste in a landfill. That’s a huge amount of trucks – with 40 cubic metre trailers, that can be a hundred trucks daily, dumping material.  (article)

News – Aggregate Recycling & Alternatives

Date	Source	Title	Comment
2018-10-31	TVO	The surprising construction materials that could help save Ontario’s green space	John Michael McGrath
2015-09-02	Inside Science	Construction Going Green With Asphalt And Concrete
2015-09-01	AZO Build	Research Shows Recycled Concrete Reduces Environmental Impact
2015-07-21	Concrete Products	CityMix agreement ushers EPS giant into recycled-foam aggregate production	Expanded polystyrene plant (EPS)
2015-04-16	Construction & Demolition Recycling	Aggregate Industries US recognized for recycling efforts	Each year Anne Arundel County challenges local businesses to recycle 50 percent of every material that is destined for landfill.
2015-04-10	LetsRecycle.com (UK)	EU rules on UK Aggregates Levy	The aggregates levy is intended to encourage the use of recycled aggregate and other alternatives to freshly extracted aggregate, as well as to promote the efficient extraction and use of aggregates, to reduce environmental damage.
2015-02-11	Hub-4.com (UK)	Gully and road waste recycling helps meet aggregate requirements
2014-10-09	Hub-4.com (UK)	Smiths & Raymond Brown announce joint venture for Oxfordshire IBA Aggregate	Incinerator bottom ash (IBA) processed and used in road construction
2014-02-19	Daily Commercial News	Recycled aggregate a dirty job to tackle	Andre Widjaja
2013-10-03	Portsmouth News (UK)	Roads are laying the foundations for Fareham firm’s growth	- TJ Group ReclaMix
2013-10-03	Orangeville Citizen	Jones’s aggregate bill approved in principle	Tom Claridge
2013-10-02	Orangeville Banner	Recycled aggregate bill passes second reading	Bill Tremblay - MPP Sylvia Jones
2013-09-30	Recycling Product News	Aggregate Recycling Gets a Big Boost in Ontario
2013-09-19	Rock to Road	Lafarge launches new cement-treated aggregate product	- Stabilia - “sustainable”?
2013-08-20	Daily Commercial News	Ontario aggregate recycling bill support grows	Kelly Lapointe
2013-08-15	Orangeville Citizen	Jones says support growing for her bill on aggregate recycling
2013-08-14	Orangeville.com Orangeville Banner	Jones gains allies in effort to promote used aggregate	Bill Tremblay - Bill 56
2013-08-05	Recycling Today	Awaiting Breakout	Curt Harler
2013-07-13	MRW (UK)	Best Recycled Product:  Carbon8 Aggregates	Andrea Lockerbie Aggregate product recycled from Air Pollution Control Residues (APCr)
2013-07-10	Core77	2013 IDSA IDEA Winners, Our Gold Faves: Omer Haciomeroglu’s ERO Concrete Recycling Robot	Blog - robot uses water/recycled water to deconstruct concrete buildings
2013-06-28	Digital Journal (USA)	Asphalt Drum Mixers [Inc.] Introduces Recycle Systems to Enhance Asphalt Production Cost Efficiency	Press Release - hot mix asphalt (HMA) - recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) - less expensive than virgin aggregate, equal quality
2013-06-03	Journal of Commerce (USA)	Reclaimed and Recycled Materials Use Growing for Road Work	Jessica Krippendorf
2013-05-14	Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine	Awaiting Breakout	Curt Harler “There are not enough new projects being started and not enough old structures being torn down.”
2013-05-13	Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine	Razing the Roof	William Giakoumatos - recycling asphalt shingles - US currently produces 1.8 million metric tons of aggregate expected to increase to 2.3 billion by 2020 [?]
2013-05-13	Taranki Daily News	Time to recycle your old concrete	Isobel Ewing New Zealand entrepreneur
2013-05-08	Daily Commercial News	Recycled Aggregate Use Bill Supported by ARO	Kelly Lapointe
2013-05-04	Materials Handling World Magazine	Terex Washing Systems, Going for Gold with the New Commonwealth Games Construction and Demolition Aggregates Recycling Plant
2013-05-01	Orangeville Banner	Jones looking to promote the use of recycled aggregate	Bill Tremblay
2013-04-30	For Construction Pros	“Total Recycle Asphalt”	Hot mix asphalt (HMA) contains more than 97% reclaimed and recycled materials
2013-04-26	Chillicothe Times Bulletin	State looks to recycled asphalt for roads	Illinois, USA 97 percent reclaimed materials
2013-04-12	For Construction Pros	Recycling cuts away at costs	Curt Bennink
2013-04-05	Isle News	Opportunity to tender for aggregates recycling	James Qualtrough 5 year contract
2013-03-24	Voxy	Television recycling scheme launched in South Island	New Zealand using recycled glass as aggregate
2013-03-24	Waste Management World	Salt Lake curbside recycling program on track to go city wide	Jim Dalrymple, Salt Lake Tribune To test using recycled glass as aggregate
2013-03-20	Caledon Enterprise	Get to know Pitsense	Letter to Editor by Bob Shapton
2013-03-13	Resource.uk.com	Two thirds unaware of new aggregate regulations	UK:  New CE mark declares product conformity
2013-03-01	American Recycler	Asphalt Recycling Equipment	Mary M. Cox
2013-02-25	Daily Commercial News	Peel Region to chronicle recycled aggregate use in roads	Dan O’Reilly
2013-01-24	Caledon Enterprise	Recycling aggregates preserves natural resources	Letter to Editor by Moreen Miller, Executive Director of Aggregate Recycling Ontario & OSSGA Pitsense
2013-01-22	Recycling Today	CRT Recycling Receives Project Approval	Convert non-leaded cathode ray tube (CRT) panel glass to cement
2013-01-21	ConstructionWeekOnline.com	Recycled aggregates use set to grow	Stian Overdahl Abu Dhabi
2013-01-02	Redoubt Reporter	Trashing the myth – Clearing the air on Kenai Peninsula Borough recycling	Jenny Neyman Recycling in Alaska: "one of the benefits is when we are able to utilize the [crushed] glass, that offsets the cost of us purchasing gravel."
2012-12-13	Letsrecycle.com	Agency asked to count ash glass as recycling	If this were to happen, councils and waste management companies might be tempted to send glass directly for incineration rather than to materials recycling facilities
2012-12-10	Edie.net	Recycled material represents fifth of UK aggregates market	Maxine Perella
2012-11-15	The Globe and Mail	New paving system uses recycled  plastic	Wendy Stueck
2012-11-12	DesignBUILD Source	Peel Region Tests Recycled Aggregates on Roads	Andrew Heaton
2012-11-08	Caledon Enterprise	Is recycling always a good thing?	Matthew Strader Pitsense
2012-11-01	Region of Peel	Peel Roads Using Recycled Aggregates to Save Money and Go Green	Brampton, ON
2012-06-29	Observer Xtra	Council rejects recycling component of Jigs Hollow pit	Steve Kannon Jigs Hollow
2006-09-19	LetsRecycle.com (UK)	European Court ruling backs UK levy on aggregates
2005-02-24	LetsRecycle.com (UK)	Quarry industry slams green benefits of aggregates levy	Levy is paid on every tonne of new aggregates extracted from the ground, in order to encourage firms to use more recycled and secondary aggregates. - 1.60 per tonne

The Al Dhafra plant in Abu Dhabi, managed by Leighton Services, has capacity to produce 5000-8000 tonnes of recycled concrete aggregate per day.  (article)

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Disclaimer: This information has been compiled through private amateur research for the purpose of allowing the reader to make an informed and educated decision.  However, while the information is believed to be reliable, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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