Our expert Pasi Tulonen, Product Manager of Lokotrack® Contractor Line at Metso Outotec, tells us what recycled aggregates are, how our machines will support contractors in extracting the right materials efficiently, and where recycled aggregates can be used keeping sustainability and profitability always in mind.
Decades of experience
Recycled aggregate is the material that is extracted from, for instance, demolished buildings, old roads or bridges. The teardown of such structures creates the opportunity of granting a new life to these materials.
After a selective demolition has taken place, instead of dumping the concrete into a landfill, it is possible to crush the waste material in order to give it a new life. We in Metso Outotec have decades of experience in crushing and screening. We have machines that are designed to process construction waste into re-usable aggregates, these are mobile impact and jaw crushers, as well as mobile screens.
Right machine for the right material
Using the right crusher, depending on the materials that need to be processed, and sorting them accordingly afterwards are crucial exercises for a successful recycling operation. To succeed in the crushing operation, for instance, it is essential that our units are designed to handle a variety of materials included in the recycled waste while separating the valuable metals with magnetic separator as well as lightweight materials from screened aggregates with a windshifter.
Different products fit better for different types of waste. For instance, if you still have a great mix of materials after crushing, Metso Outotec mobile screens such as Lokotrack® ST2.3, ST2.8, Nordtrack S2.5 and S2.11are ideal for the job, as they are designed to process any type of concrete, asphalt, or slag. Our Lokotrack® LT1213S mobile impact crusher offers a variety of features for recycling applications and has an integrated screen, which has made it a very popular solution for recycling applications as it provides great results.
Customer testimonial from Joona Ahonen, Ahosen Palvelut in Finland about LT1213S impactor crusher:
“The most important thing for generating profit will be that the machine continues to work with no sudden shutdowns. With the new Lokotrack, we can crush demolition concrete and asphalt, and produce good volumes of clean grades that meet the customers’ needs.”
Sustainability at the core
Recycling aggregates presents a great chance for producers to expand their business in a profitable way while giving a new life to aggregates that are no longer in use such as demolished infrastructure or old buildings. The recycling of aggregates does not substitute blasting natural rock, instead, it expands business opportunities as well as the life of those materials which would otherwise go to waste.
In addition, the costs of dumping demolition waste are constantly growing. The costs become even more significant when the transport distance is long. Therefore, acting on the spot and giving new life to these materials instead of paying to get rid of them, makes environmental and financial sense.
Future of recycled concrete
Recycling is the most logical and sustainable way forward. As we’ve seen already, both legislations around the world, and the development of technology are joining forces to decarbonize our industry’s operations.
Read the whole story of Ahosen Palvelut crushing demolished waste with Lokotrack® LT1213S:
https://www.mogroup.com/insights/case-studies/aggregates/ahosen-palvelut-invested-in-a-top-equipped-lokotrack/
Content produced in association with Metso Outotec
