NEW analysis produced with sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental has highlighted the low-carbon advantage of choosing reclaimed clay bricks for construction projects.
The work compares the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of Reclaimed Brick Company’s reclaimed clay bricks with a historic UK brick industry average through an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It covers the emissions associated with sourcing materials, transportation to the manufacturer, and preparing or manufacturing the bricks before they reach the building site.
For a typical house using 15,000 bricks, weighing approximately 30 tonnes, the analysis found:
- Reclaimed clay brick: -0.10 tCOâ‚‚e
- Historic UK brick industry average: 6.39 tCOâ‚‚e
- Difference: approximately 6.49 tCOâ‚‚e
New clay bricks require raw materials to be extracted, processed and fired at high temperatures. Reclaimed bricks have already been manufactured, meaning that reusing them avoids repeating much of this energy-intensive process.
Reclaimed Brick Company recovers, cleans, sorts and grades bricks so they can be used again. Alongside their environmental advantages, reclaimed bricks are also said to provide natural variations in colour, texture and weathering. This makes them particularly suited to heritage restoration, extensions, and new developments seeking an established appearance.
Luke Clarke, director at Reclaimed Brick Company, said, “Reclaimed bricks have always been valued for their history and character, but this work helps us clearly demonstrate their low-carbon advantage. It gives architects, developers and homeowners verified information they can use when selecting materials for their projects.”
Tunley Environmental supported Reclaimed Brick Company in measuring and communicating the environmental performance.
Dr Aaron Yeardley, science team co-lead at Tunley Environmental, added, “The results show the advantage of keeping an existing construction material in use. Reclaimed bricks avoid many of the emissions associated with extracting raw materials and manufacturing new bricks, while supporting a more circular approach to construction.”
