RECYCLING? RECYCLE, REUSE, BAMBOOZLE AND CONFUSE

A recent post under comments advised to check the stats for recycled aggregate.

Minebuster did this LONG ago, but here are the stats.....(next time, just try google)

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) encourages the reduction, reuse, and recycling of aggregate materials. In a 1992 study, it was estimated that recycling contributed up to 5% of the supply of aggregate resources.  Today, twenty years later they are recycling 7.5%  .
(source: http://www.nelsonaggregate.com/index.cfm/handler/news/tAction/view&item_ID=38 Which is an increase of 2.5%, wowee. 170,000,000 million tonnes used per year in Ontario and 11,900,000 million tonnes recycled per year in Ontario

So follow the math: 170 million tonnes of aggregate is used each year in Ontario;
51,800 tonnes of aggregate are required to pave one kilometre of a 6 lane highway(source:http://www.theholestory.ca/inhtw.php )
or 8,333 tonnes is needed to pave one kilometre meaning all the aggregate mined in Ontario mined in a year could pave 19,691 km of road.

ALL of the aggregate recycled in Ontario in a year (7.5% of 170 million tonnes) would pave about 1,300 kilometres of road.

So June 16 at 1:29 pm, who posted: 
I believe if you did your homework you would know that the aggregate and constuction industry do recycle the majority of the old concrete and aggregates. And that is fine if your tearing down a old bridge to build a new one, but where does the aggregate come from for new roads, bridges, houses(1,000s of them), schools, hospitals....... If you really think recycling aggregate will supply 100% of the 90 million tonnes a year consumed, you best wakeup!

I did my homework.  And the industry does NOT recycle the majority of the old concrete and aggregate.  They, according to their OWN information recycle 7.5% of their product. And Ontario uses 170 million tonnes of aggregate a year, NOT 90 million tonnes.

What is disturbing are the big box stores/developers who construct commerical venues with a 20 year life span.

So lets start a little game.  Name a commercial or residential structure that has been demolished in the last 3 years and its lifespan.

I will go first-Dairy Queen Orangeville-lifespan 20 years. 

Oh yeah, I will go second-30 homesteads located in Melancthon-lifespan-priceless.

I will go third-the Garden Market grocery store in Orangeville that used to be in the plaza with Fabricland and the beer store-Lifespan: less than 10 years;

Pick me to go fourth-the Zehrs in Collingwood that they tore down about 10 years ago to build a new and bigger one about 10 feet to the north of the old one.  Lifespan-less than 20 years

Fifth?  That would be the Presbyterian Church in Hornings Mills.  Lifespan, more than 75 years-probably closer to 100 years.

Anyone else????? 

Please weigh in.