Danish company gives old bricks a new lease of life
A plant in Denmark is helping to minimise the problem of construction waste by extracting reusable bricks and preparing them for contemporary reuse. Through vibrations, the company is able to remove previous concrete and cement, making the bricks ready to be used again. The technique provides an innovative solution to the issue of construction waste, greatly reducing the quantity that must be sent to landfill or pulverised.
The system of vibrations is a remarkably clean method of preparing the bricks, removing the need for water and chemical treatment. The method is also 98 percent more energy efficient than the creation of new bricks. On average, eight tonnes of CO2 per new household are saved through using reclaimed bricks.
Denmark has seen an upswing in the market for old bricks, as many consumers view the material as having more character compared to its newer counterpart. Explaining the trend, Claus Nielsen, the CEO of Gamle Mursten, says that “history is passed on from the old bricks to the new building”, providing a sense of added value. The project is supported by the EU's Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme Eco-Innovation Initiative and is looking to expand into Germany and Poland.
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