To one extent or another, most people are making some attempt to reduce their overall carbon footprint and help to improve the environment.

Even if it isn’t being done as much as it should be, things like recycling, improving fuel efficiency, using fewer plastics, and other efforts can make a real difference.

One of the problems with focusing so much effort on getting the individual to be more environmentally friendly (as important as that is) is that it ignores the biggest generators of carbon emissions.

The third-largest creator of anthropogenic carbon emissions in the world is the production of cement.

This is both because cement is such a popular product that is used in virtually every construction project, home improvement effort, road construction, and much more.

Companies have been trying to find a way to reduce the environmental impact from this product for years, with some levels of success.

These were mostly done by adjusting the formulas used for things like concrete to help reduce the amount of cement required. Some added in industrial waste and steel slag, others used coffee grounds, for example.

Unfortunately, these options, so far at least, have not been fully successful.

C-Crete Technologies is a materials science company that thinks it has the solution.

This company has patented a new material that can be pourable just like cement, and offers the same strength and durability levels so it is safe to use in almost every situation.

The company has already received $3 million in funding from the US Department of Energy to continue to develop this technology and expand its operations.

Perhaps most exciting is the fact that they have already used 140 tons of this material in the construction of Hubbard’s Corner, one of their buildings. They commented on the project:

“With the living laboratory of Hubbard’s Corner, this field trial moves C-Crete’s basalt-based C1157 concrete from a novel material to a pilot-ready concrete for bigger projects. This pour was that research and development step that proves an idea works, with validation from a real-world placement.”

The new product relies on non-carbonite materials such as basalt, which do not need to be heated up to create concrete.

In addition, the new material actually captures CO2 during the curing process, helping to further benefit the environment.

With continued research, we may be able to build our way to a greener environment.

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