The municipal construction waste disposal center in Taicang, Jiangsu province [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Taicang in Jiangsu province has established a disposal and recycling system for construction waste, achieving a reutilization rate of 85 percent, which has helped protect the environment and save resources, local media reported on April 29.

The disposal center is located in Liuhe county and receives waste from all the construction sites in the city in order to avoid random dumping or pile-ups.

According to employees, construction waste delivered to the plant will be sorted automatically by advanced machinery. The sorted concrete, bricks, ceramics, and other items will be crushed and ground up to form recycled aggregates and then be processed into bricks.

Due to their high level of porosity and water permeability, recycled bricks are mostly used for paving sidewalks. Rainwater can pass through the bricks and into the ground more quickly, reducing water build-up in cities.

In addition, high-pressure sprinklers and dust extractors have been installed to minimize damage to the air in surrounding areas.

The disposal center is designed to handle 1,000 tons of construction waste every day, and that number is expected to rise to 2,000 tons per day after the second plant is operational.