Today’s concrete is high-volume, low-value
Every year, 360 million metric tons of concrete construction waste are sent to landfill in the United States, in large part originating from the demolition of buildings considered economically obsolete. Even though concrete is a durable and long-lasting material, it is often discarded after only a few decades of use. Meanwhile, global demand for new concrete is accelerating – in 2021, the production of new concrete was responsible for up to 9% of global CO2e emissions, signifying that urgent action is needed to decarbonize the cement industry.