How to reuse recycled brick

Recycling isn't only great for the environment, it could be brilliant for you wallet too. If you're demolishing walls inside your home or in the garden, a brick cleaner from Kennards Hire will help you breathe new life into old clay.

1. Reuse bricks in construction

There are more benefits to reusing bricks than you may think. Firstly, if you are remodelling an older home, it is quite possible that the brick used to build your home is no longer produced. So, it could be a very wise move to clean up your old bricks from demolition and use them for repairs or constructing new parts of the home in a similar finish.

It's also environmentally responsible. According to Zero Waste Europe, a Danish company called GamleMursten ApS that recycles bricks on a commercial scale, estimates that for every brick reused, 500 grams of carbon dioxide is saved.

2. Sell or donate clean bricks

There are many businesses around Australia that could use recycled bricks. Some will accept broken or uncleaned bricks to be broken up and used as fill material for infrastructure projects - so, no need to clean. You could be very liberal in your application of a demolition saw in this case!

You may find that you know neighbours or builders who would be willing to purchase a small amount of bricks for a personal project or repairs.

3. Create a feature wall... or something

There are so many uses for old bricks. If you have a sufficient amount of bricks, you could consider making a garden wall. You could also create a platform on which to erect a swing or place a sculpture - a truly standout look for your garden. Other outdoor options include building a barbecue surround or a fish-cleaning station.

If you want to use them indoors, a bit of creative bricklaying could help you create a feature wall in a lounge or bedroom. Exposed brick creates a very distinct, rustic character that lends itself well to post-modern industrial settings. This can be hard to achieve without incorporating some reused elements, so you may as well use them if you have them!

Whether you choose to make use of your recycled building materials yourself, or offer them to a community group or business, one thing's for sure - it's better to give these pieces of clay a second chance at life, than to create more waste.