Demolition of the Oomers factory site in Sutherland Road reaches the piles of rubble stage. At least the piles are neatly sorted for re-use. Bricks in one pile, concrete crushed to manageable-size chunks in another, old tyres and timber all likely to find some purpose. The materials are crushed on site, hence all the huge shiny new machines lining the roads nearby. The materials have different uses: crushed concrete can be used to make new concrete, and bricks as well as concrete chunks are used as hardcore - the layer of rubble put down to provide a level base for paving and concrete floor slabs.
Recycling is driven by high landfill costs, and by green building criteria such as the BREEAM scheme (the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology, established in 1990) which are now standard requirements for virtually all new developments. Complying with BREEAM is so complicated, it's usual to have a consultant qualified to check on all the different criteria, and it is taken absolutely seriously in working out the scope and costs of a construction project. A double incentive to avoid waste.
