On Site Recycled Fiber Cement Waste into the Concrete Recycling Dumpster.
by Bill H. Stafford
Q: Can fiber cement panels ( 30% cement + 30 - 50 FLY ASH + 10 - 20 % wood fiber and cellulose ) be recyled into the concrete recycle bins for recycling into new ready mix concrete? A: Hi Bill, Sorry that this response took awhile. The short answer to your question is "not yet." Digging to find out more specifically about recycling fiber cement panels, I have so far found very little, and what I did find was conflicting information! For example, in a Feb. 21, 2008 issue of Smart Homeowner (http://www.smart-homeowner.com/node/8576/), I found the following statement: "According to Connie McCullah, a national speaker on green remodeling, fiber cement is inert and does not emit fine dust or toxic compounds after installation. Furthermore, fiber-cement siding can be recycled or used as road fill, and if hauled to a landfill it does not pose an environmental or health risk." Then, in the June/July 2009 edition of Mother Earth News (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/Install-Fiber-Cement-Siding.aspx) I found this contradictory statement: "Unfortunately, there are currently no recycling programs in place for fiber-cement siding. However, it is an inert material that, if ultimately sent to a landfill, should not endanger the environment." Confusing the issue further, the website of a manufacturer of fiber cement panels, Western Specialty Fabrications out of Santa Clara, CA, assures customers that its products are "100% recyclable." However, this doesn't mean that the panels can be put into concrete recycling bins. In the case of Western Specialty Fabrications' Swisspearl products, the panels are recycled by putting them into cement kilns for the production of new cement (see http://www.fibercementpanel.com/swisspearl/life_cycle/images/life_cycle_link1.pdf, page 5). But, because fiber cement panels are extremely long-lasting, it seems reasonable that by the time a building containing them were demolished in 25 or 50 years, that there should be a simple way to recycle them by then. Worst case scenario: if they are eventually hauled to a landfill, they are at least inert, and while they add to landfill bulk, they are not known to be harmful. So, from what I have been able to gather, while the panels can be recycled, they cannot be chucked into the recycling bins for concrete waste. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a simple yes or no answer to your question. Best regards, Alan Meet-Mr-Concrete.com MMC RSS Feed DIY Concrete Tools  Find Top Notch Local Concrete Pros for Free Meet-Mr-Concrete.com provides concrete construction advice at no charge and in good faith for consideration only. We do not warrant the implementation of its content and are to be held harmless when and if any advice or ideas provided are utilized. The risk from using it lies entirely with the user.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
|
