Thinking Out of the Box at Central Utilities

Paper, plastic and metal are not the only items that can be recycled. When thinking about recycling, follow the path of our Central Utilities Department – they think Out of the Box!  Central Utilities contractors will now be recycling our concrete “spoil” (waste).  This is done through a large concrete “crusher/grinder”.

 We will be able to reuse our recycled concrete for things like:

 Sub-base gravel is laid down as the lowest layer in a road, with fresh concrete or asphalt poured over it. Crushed recycled sconcrete can also be used as the dry aggregate for brand new concrete if it is free of contaminants.

• Larger pieces of crushed concrete, such as rip-rap can be used for erosion control.
• With proper quality control at the crushing facility, well graded and aesthetically pleasing materials can be provided as a substitute for landscaping stone or mulch.
• Wire cages can be filled with crushed concrete and stacked together to provide economical retaining walls. Stacked gabions are also used to build privacy screen walls (in lieu of fencing).

Other sustainable benefits

• Keep concrete debris out of landfills saves landfill space.
• Using recycled material as gravel reduces the need for gravel mining
• Using recycled concrete as the base material for roadways reduces the pollution involved in trucking material.
• The cost to buy “recycled” concrete is about the same and the savings mentioned above actually make it “cheaper”.

We are also looking at recycling our asphalt and using more green or sustainable products while working on our projects at the University of Rochester.  Information provided by Christopher Howe, if you would like further information you may contact him directly at  chowe@facilities.rochester.edu