Current status on the use of recycled aggregates in concrete: Where do we go from here?

The consumption of energy and natural resources has been growing exponentially with the significant increase of the economic and industrial activities of the semi-developed nations, becoming one of the major environmental concerns in our time. Several sectors are already pursuing cost-effective solutions to the problem of dumping waste, by reducing their production and adding value to them through their reuse or recycling them into new products, in view of a circular economy. Here, the current state of the recycled aggregates’ application in the concrete industry is briefly reviewed, with a particular focus on the existing obstacles to their widespread use and lacking knowledge in general areas, which need to be further researched.