The Three Little Pigs will be quick to tell you that bricks are a reliable building material used to construct everything from walls to chimneys to hearths. But what about those bricks that are left over after a job is done, or those chipped or cracked bricks that need to be replaced? Can bricks be recycled?
Bricks can be recycled along with construction and demolition waste, which includes other building products like carpet, concrete, drywall, roofing shingles, and lumber, but for consumers looking to get rid of just a few bricks, reuse is probably a more practical option.
What is a Brick?
One of the key factors in determining the recycling market for a material is identifying how it was made. Bricks are made from a variety of materials, from mud to concrete, but the traditional red brick pictured above was probably made from a mixture of the following: Sand, clay, lime, iron oxide, magnesia The sand is baked in kilns and set in mortar. Sand is also the main ingredient in another product we recycle every day: glass.
One of the main benefits of building with bricks is that they are fire and water resistant, making them ideal for withstanding natural disasters on the outside of your home.Unfortunately, the recycling process for most materials requires the material to be melted (glass, metal, plastic, etc.) or mixed with water (paper), and brick has a melting point of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which complicates the recycling process.
Why reuse or recycle bricks?
The construction industry produces a huge amount of waste. 600 million tons of construction and demolition waste In 2018, the most recent year for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has data, construction waste (including bricks) accounted for more than twice as much municipal solid waste.292.4 million tonsOf the 600 million tons of construction waste generated in the same year, over 455 million tons were reused. 145 million tons dumped in landfills.
Materials like bricks are designed to last a long time and withstand sunlight and heat, so they’re unlikely to break down in a landfill. Plus, if you live in states like Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Oregon, or New York City, it’s illegal to throw building materials, including bricks, in a landfill, so you’ll have to reuse or recycle them.
Recycled bricks option
Before considering recycling bricks, try reusing them for other purposes. Intact, clean bricks can often be reused in new construction, landscaping, or renovation projects. Reusing bricks saves the energy used to manufacture them and is the most sustainable disposal method. Below are some reuse suggestions:
- Build a brick walkway It can be laid in your garden or used as a edging to prevent existing paths from flooding.
- Use them in the garden to secure tarps and other lightweight materials to stop them from blowing away in the wind.
- Put them Under the water heater To prevent damage in the event of flooding.
- Build your own backyard facilityLike a bench, Fireplace And a waterfall.
- Use it as a door stopper.
Most of these reuse projects do not require the bricks to be intact or in pristine condition. If you have new bricks, another option is to Habitat for Humanity RestoreEach store varies in the types of materials they take, so contact your local ReStore to see if they accept bricks.
How are bricks recycled?
Bricks and other C&D materials definitely aren’t accepted by curbside recycling programs, and if you have a small amount of bricks, it’s unlikely that a C&D recycler will take them (unless you’re willing to bring them in). You can use Earth911’s recycling finder tool to find brick recycling locations near you.
People looking to dispose of bricks have likely used a contractor. C&D recyclers are willing to accept materials in bulk from businesses. For contractors, many states maintain lists of C&D recyclers available. Construction Recycling Association.
Recyclers have a few options for recycling bricks: They can be crushed into gravel-sized pieces to use as a ground cover or mulch substitute in yards. They can be crushed into a powder to be used on baseball fields, running tracks, and tennis courts. In some cases, new bricks can even be made from the crushed bricks.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on November 6, 2017 and was updated in August 2024. Have a question about how to recycle a specific product or material type? Let us know and we’ll do the research and share our findings with the world. Support our worktoo!
