Dive Brief:
- New York City Council is introducing a bill to mandate incorporating recycled concrete into every new city street construction project.
- The proposed legislation would require at least 30% of the concrete to be derived from demolished structures and roads.
- The city could waive the usage requirement if enough construction and demolition waste isn’t available for a specific project.
Dive Insight:
The bill is being introduced by Councilman Ben Kallos (D- Manhattan). He said the purpose of the legislation is to reduce carbon emissions stemming from the production of concrete.
Asphalt recycling is gaining momentum as a budget-savvy alternative to landfilling the waste. The process of re-using the material is called full-depth reclamation, and is often used at construction sites. The debris is crushed and used as a base for streets and parking lots. The conglomerate is estimated to last two years longer than projects that don’t incorporate the reclamation process.