Reclaimed brick is one of the most effective ways to reduce a building’s embodied carbon while adding the kind of character and authenticity that new materials cannot match. Because reclaimed bricks avoid clay extraction and kiln firing, their carbon footprint is often a fraction of newly manufactured units. With only cleaning, sorting, and short transport distances to account for, the environmental savings become significant for builders and architects who want to design responsibly.
In this guide, we break down the carbon math, the practical trade offs, and the real world considerations that shape the choice between reclaimed and new brick. You will find clear comparisons, sourcing tips, and insights that support both low carbon and heritage driven projects. If you are exploring reclaimed brick for an upcoming build and want guidance you can trust, our team at New Orleans Brick & Stone is here to help you choose authentic materials that align with your sustainability goals and are ready to ship when you need them.
Carbon Footprint Comparison: Reclaimed Brick vs New Brick
Reclaimed bricks generally cut embodied carbon by avoiding new firing and manufacturing. New bricks add emissions from kiln energy, raw clay extraction, and processing. Transportation and mortar choice can shift totals either way.
Embodied Carbon and Lifecycle Emissions
Reclaimed brick usually carries far lower embodied carbon because you skip the energy-intensive firing stage. When bricks are salvaged, you mainly account for cleaning, sorting, and any minor refurbishment. Studies have shown reclaimed bricks can have carbon footprints many times smaller than newly manufactured heritage-match bricks.
New brick production emits carbon at each stage: clay extraction, drying, high-temperature firing, and sometimes long-distance shipping. Those emissions add up in the “cradle-to-gate” calculation used in life-cycle analyses. Choosing reclaimed brick can directly reduce embodied carbon and lower your project’s upfront emissions.
Energy Use in Manufacturing and Reuse
Manufacturing new brick consumes large amounts of heat energy, often from fossil fuels, which drives most of the product’s carbon emissions. Modern kilns can be more efficient, but firing still dominates the energy budget. You should expect higher energy-related emissions for new brick than for reclaimed.
Reusing brick shifts energy use to reuse processes: demolition handling, transport to a yard, cleaning, and repointing. Those steps use far less energy than firing. If you pair reclaimed brick with low-carbon lime mortar, you can further reduce lifecycle emissions because lime mortar often has a lower carbon footprint than Portland cement mixes.
Transportation and Local Sourcing Impacts
Transport matters. If reclaimed bricks come from nearby demolition, you cut both emissions and cost. Local sourcing often makes reclaimed brick the greener choice. In contrast, importing new “heritage-match” bricks from overseas can add a large transportation premium to the carbon footprint.
You should calculate mileage and mode (truck, ship, rail) when comparing options. Longer transport for either reclaimed or new material can erase some carbon savings. Aim to source reclaimed brick within your region and consolidate shipments to reduce fuel use and lower total emissions.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Considerations
Choosing between reclaimed and new brick affects energy use, material demand, and waste paths. You can lower embodied carbon, save raw materials, and reduce landfill loads by picking reclaimed brick, but you should also consider transport, cleaning, and fit to your project.
Resource Extraction and Depletion
Reclaimed brick removes the need to dig new clay or quarried materials. That means you avoid the energy and emissions tied to clay extraction, kiln firing, and brick manufacturing. New brick production often uses high‑temperature firing that drives embodied carbon; reclaimed brick mostly carries the carbon already spent in its first life.
You must weigh transport distance and processing. If reclaimed brick travels far or needs heavy reprocessing, some benefits shrink. Still, reusing existing brick directly reduces demand for new raw material and helps preserve soil and local landscapes.
Waste Reduction and Circular Economy
Reclaimed brick supports a circular economy by giving materials a second life instead of a single-use path. When you reuse brick, you close a loop: old buildings become new walls without repeated manufacture. This lowers the total material throughput in construction and reduces the pressure on supply chains.
Using reclaimed brick can also create local markets for deconstruction and salvage. That encourages contractors to plan for disassembly, not demolition, and to value materials as assets. These shifts make your project more sustainable and cut upstream emissions.
Landfill Diversion Benefits
Every pallet of reclaimed brick you use keeps heavy, durable material out of landfills. Bricks in landfills occupy space and represent embodied energy lost forever. By diverting bricks to reuse, you reduce landfill volume and the environmental costs of waste handling.
Careful dismantling, cleaning, and storage are needed to make reuse practical. When done well, reclamation lowers disposal fees and avoids the environmental impacts tied to new‑brick production, making your build more resource‑efficient.
Performance, Durability, and Practical Challenges
Reclaimed brick can save carbon but brings variability in strength, dimensions, and surface condition. New, manufactured brick offers consistent quality and predictable performance, yet has higher embodied carbon and may lack the visual depth of salvaged units.
Structural Reliability and Testing
You should test reclaimed bricks before using them in load-bearing work. Check compressive strength, absorption rate, and freeze–thaw resistance with standard lab tests or a qualified brick tester. Common bricks from demolition often show a wide range of strengths, so sample at regular intervals — at least one test per 200–500 bricks for small projects, more for structural walls.
For new brick, manufacturers supply test certificates and uniform dimensions. That reduces unknowns and speeds approval with engineers and building control. For heritage restoration, you may need specialist reports to match mortar and bonding while meeting safety rules.
Performance in Different Climates
In cold, wet climates you must watch water absorption and frost resistance. Reclaimed brick sometimes retains mortar or hairline cracks that increase permeability, raising risk of spalling in freeze–thaw cycles. If your project faces coastal salt spray, salts trapped in old brick can cause later deterioration; desalination or testing is recommended.
Manufactured brick is usually rated for climate categories and often performs reliably in extremes. If you aim to use reclaimed brick in harsh climates, plan for protective detailing: good cavity drainage, breathable lime mortars for heritage work, and selective use of low-absorption reclaimed units where exposure is highest.
Supply, Preparation, and Sizing Issues
You need to plan supply early when choosing reclaimed brick. Suppliers have irregular stock levels and lead times tied to demolition schedules. Expect extra cost for cleaning, sorting, and grading; labor inputs can be high, especially when you need consistent batches for larger façades.
Sizing and tolerance matter for fast construction. New brick offers standard sizes that suit modern bonding patterns and mechanised laying. Reclaimed bricks often have non-standard dimensions, requiring more cutting and bespoke detailing. For visible work, grade bricks by colour and surface to avoid patchy façades; reserve reclaimed units for feature walls or heritage façade repairs where their character adds value.
Applications in Sustainable and Heritage Construction
Reclaimed bricks cut embodied carbon and keep demolition waste out of landfills. You can match historic textures and use compatible mortars to protect old masonry while also lowering material-related emissions.
Historic Restoration and Lime Mortar Use
When you restore a historic wall, choose reclaimed bricks to match size, colour, and weathering. They help maintain the building’s appearance and reduce the need for new fired clay bricks, which have higher embodied carbon.
Use lime mortar, not modern cement, for most heritage masonry. Lime mortar is softer and more breathable than Portland cement. That allows moisture to move through the wall and reduces risk of trapped moisture and spalling in old brickwork.
Test reclaimed bricks for strength and salt content, clean them gently, and grade them by size. For mortar, mix hydraulic or non-hydraulic lime to match original compressive strength and colour. Document all materials and methods for future work.
Modern Eco-Friendly Building Projects
You can use reclaimed bricks on facades, internal feature walls, and low-rise load-bearing structures to lower project carbon. They work well on street-facing façades where texture and patina add value.
Plan logistics: source bricks locally to cut transport emissions and secure consistent supply through reclaimed-material dealers or demolition salvage agreements. Expect extra labour for sorting and cleaning, so budget time and cost accordingly.
Combine reclaimed brick with modern insulation strategies and vapour-permeable wall assemblies. This keeps energy performance high while preserving breathability. For new builds seeking sustainability credentials, reclaimed brick can contribute to lower embodied carbon and a stronger circular-economy case.
Cost, Availability, and Market Factors
You will face trade-offs between upfront costs, labor needs, and how easy it is to find the exact bricks you need. Pricing and sourcing vary by region, brick type, and whether a supplier has stock that matches your project.
Material and Labour Costs
Reclaimed bricks often cost more per unit than common new bricks when you include sorting, cleaning, and freight. Suppliers may charge 85p–£1.50 per brick in some markets for rare colours, while common new bricks can be cheaper per piece.
You pay extra labor for careful dismantling and for masons experienced in working with older units. Matching size and removing mortar slows work and raises labor hours. You may save money if you reuse bricks on-site and avoid landfill fees.
New bricks usually have lower installation time and consistent sizes, which reduces labor costs. But custom or heritage-match new bricks can cost significantly more and carry shipping premiums if made overseas. Factor in both material and skilled labor when comparing bids.
Supply Chain and Sourcing Concerns
Your access to reclaimed brick depends on local demolition activity and stockpiles. A nearby supplier can supply matched stock quickly; otherwise you might face long searches or purchase lots from distant sellers. This affects price and project schedules.
New bricks offer steady availability, especially for common bricks produced at regional brickyards. However, specialty heritage-match new bricks may come from limited manufacturers and incur transport emissions and lead times.
Inspect any reclaimed stock for soundness and size variance before purchase. Check that suppliers provide documentation on provenance and any cleaning or reconditioning work. For new bricks, confirm factory specs and delivery windows to avoid delays.
Choosing between reclaimed and new brick comes down to more than carbon math. It is a decision about resource stewardship, long term performance, and the kind of character you want your project to carry. Reclaimed brick offers a rare combination of lower embodied carbon, historic texture, and proven durability, making it a strong fit for builders and designers who want to create work with real integrity.
If you are planning a project and want guidance on sourcing authentic reclaimed brick that supports your sustainability goals, our team at New Orleans Brick & Stone is here to help. We can walk you through options, check inventory, and get materials moving quickly so your vision stays on schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section answers how reclaimed and new bricks differ in carbon and other environmental impacts. It also covers when reclaimed bricks cut emissions, what makes new brick production carbon-intensive, and practical trade-offs for using old bricks.
How does the sustainability of reclaimed bricks compare to new bricks?
Reclaimed bricks avoid the energy and emissions of firing and manufacturing. You skip most of the “cradle-to-gate” carbon costs that new bricks incur.
Reclaimed bricks also reuse existing materials, which lowers waste and the need for new raw clay. That said, transport and cleaning can add small emissions depending on distance and processing.
What are the environmental benefits of using reclaimed bricks?
You reduce embodied carbon by reusing material instead of making new units. Studies and industry reports show reclaimed bricks can have dramatically lower production emissions than new bricks.
You also cut landfill waste and save the energy used to quarry and process raw clay. Reusing bricks can preserve local material character and reduce demand for long-distance imports.
Can using reclaimed bricks significantly reduce construction carbon emissions?
Yes, in many cases using reclaimed bricks can cut project carbon emissions noticeably. If you source locally and minimize transport, the savings grow large.
The exact reduction depends on how many bricks you reuse and how far you must move them. Projects that replace large volumes of new brick with reclaimed material see the biggest gains.
What factors contribute to the carbon footprint of producing new bricks?
High-temperature firing in kilns consumes large amounts of fossil fuel or electricity, which drives most of the emissions. Clay extraction, refining, molding, and long-distance shipping also add to the footprint.
Manufacturers’ energy source matters a lot. Bricks made where kilns run on coal or oil have much higher carbon per unit than those made with low-carbon electricity.
Which type of brick is considered the most eco-friendly option for building materials?
Reclaimed brick is often the lowest-carbon option when available locally and in good condition. Low-energy manufactured bricks — such as those fired with renewable energy or made with lower-temperature processes — can also be a good choice.
Your best option depends on availability, transport distance, and the production energy mix. Compare embodied carbon numbers when you can.
Are there any downsides to using old bricks instead of new ones in construction?
You may face variability in size, strength, and condition, which can increase labor for sorting and fitting. Cleaning, testing, and matching can add cost and time.
Availability can be limited, so you might need partial new-brick purchases or custom solutions. For certain structural uses, verify structural fitness and compliance with local codes.
