Concrete is comprised of aggregates (e.g. particles of stone and gravel) and cement. While the process of sourcing and preparing these materials is energy-intensive, there are now greener methods available. Recycled cement made with fly ash (a by-product of coal combustion) can now be used as an alternative for up to 35% of the cement in concrete. This is significantly more eco-friendly than the manufacture of Portland cement, a process that accounts for up to 8% of the world's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Choose a greener way of life by choosing recycled cement over Portland cement. Not only can you get greener concrete floors that look just as good as new concrete, you can help make a positive contribution to global warming. Plus, using fly ash as a substitute actually increases concrete's strength and permeability.
Some interesting facts you may not know about concrete:
- By replacing 1 ton of Portland cement with 1 ton of fly ash, manufacturers can help keep an estimated 1 ton of CO2 out of the earth's atmosphere.
- Just two years ago, world cement production was approximately 2.6 billion tons.
When assessing the greenness of a particular floor type, you should also look at the energy expended in transporting the product to its destination. In this sense, concrete is eco-friendly as it's often made and sourced locally. This means less energy is used to transport the final product (opposed to bamboo flooring that's shipped to North America from Asia).
Refer to Green.FindAnyFloor.com for all of your green concrete needs. With our green site you should be able to sort through your eco-friendly flooring options in no time.
