A decade ago, companies were coming to Northern Ireland-based CDE talking about natural sand and gravel and the washing machines needed to clean it. Today, says the company, around 60% of clients approach it asking about recycling solutions – a shift largely due to legislation.
“The goal is to produce aggregate that can be used for construction. The UK has been using this for more than 20 years; in central Europe, it’s now starting. We have some plants already installed in Austria, Germany, and Scandinavia,” said a company spokesman.
“The fact that natural resources may not always be available means that it clearly makes sense to re-use what people call ‘waste material’ – which it isn’t, because it can be used indefinitely for the construction industry.”
Tests have shown that recycled materials have the same performance, strength and character as their virgin equivalents, but it is important that the public is educated to understand this, the spokesman added. “The processing facilities that we produce are very much for that purpose. They produce a similar quality to natural materials.”
