Concrete is ubiquitous.  You find it everywhere, even in places you don't expect.  The walls of a skyscraper.  The foundation of a house.  A kitchen counter.  A chair.

Concrete is made from a mixture of materials held together by cement.  Cement, in the form of a fine powder, becomes transformed when mixed with water, turning into a binder for sand, gravel or crushed rock.

The Romans invented cement and made it out of volcanic ash and naturally-occurring minerals.  Modern day cement is made when raw materials are transformed using high temperatures then finely ground into a powder.  But for every ton of modern cement made, a ton of carbon dioxide is sent into our already compromised atmosphere.  You would need almost a ton of cement to make a 6-inch thick 10 foot by 10 foot concrete slab.  That translates into a lot of CO2.

If you are considering an extension or renovation to your house, consider these products and companies that make cement more environmentally-friendly.

 
Ecosmart Concrete is about using less cement without compromising the advantages of concrete.  The Ecosmart Foundation provides the know-how to builders and contractors so they can limit the environmental impact of using cement without causing a delay in the construction schedule, increasing costs or compromising the strength or durability of the concrete.

The Ecosmart method consists of mixing concrete using less cement and replacing it with fly ash and other materials that are by-products of manufacturing processes.  Depending on where the concrete would be used, up to 80% of the cement can be replaced by other materials that lower the material costs, could be stronger and more durable than traditional concrete and certainly lower the environmental impact.


Ecox is made by Meld USA.  It is pre-cast
concrete that reuses glass from consumer and industrial waste resulting in a unique-looking material that has many uses in homes and buildings: countertops, furniture, fixtures among others


Squak Mountain Stone is made of recycled waste paper, coal fly ash, recycled crushed glass, iron oxide pigments and low carbon cement.

 
It is lighter than traditional concrete, lighter than natural stone.  But it looks like something from nature rather than something made by a man or in this case, woman.


Syndecrete is pre-cast concrete that can be used to replace natural materials like stone or wood and petroleum-based synthetic materials.

Syndecrete is mostly made up of natural mineral and recycled materials: metal shavings, plastic regrinds, recycled glass chips and scrap wood from consumer and industrial waste.  It is recommended for decorative surfacing as it has consistent color and texture and is half the weight of traditional concrete but twice as strong.