Recycled glass offers benefits both for the brick industry and the environment, according to research carried out by CERAM Building Technology (CBT). The two-year project has shown that the use of recycled glass can reduce the energy needed to fire clay bricks and pavers by up to 20%, deliver improvements in product performance and help the brick manufacturing industry to meet environmental legislation. Funded by WRAP, the research set out to investigate the effects of adding 5% powdered recycled glass as a fluxing agent in the firing process. Building on previous research and actively involving a number of the UK's leading brick manufacturers, the project has involved both extensive laboratory and production trials to identify the full range of economic and technical benefits and provide the industry with an effective benchmark.
