Green products and equipment are a continuing growing trend throughout the construction and manufacturing industries. 

From electric excavators, compactors, and lawnmowers to sustainable material substitutes like bamboo and cork, rental stores throughout Canada are transitioning from diesel and engine to battery. Now, sustainable and eco-friendly concretes are introduced to the market through companies like Lafarge, Kryton International, Giatec Scientific, Cemex, and more. The push for green construction policies in Canada has not slowed down, and experts anticipate that green concrete will eventually become the national standard. 

“It [green concrete] has been around for a while, but it’s relatively recent that it’s become so widespread,” says Kevin Yuers, vice president at Kryton International Inc. “In North America, you can hardly get any Ordinary Portland cement anymore.” 

Developed by the government of Canada and the Cement Association of Canada (CAC), Canada’s Action Plan for 2030 enacts policies to decarbonize cement and concrete, ultimately reducing carbon emissions by 40 per cent (below 2005 levels) in 2030. 

According to the CAC, cement manufacturing accounted for 9.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2) in 2020, which makes up 1.4 per cent of Canada’s emissions. When cement is manufactured, there is a chemical reaction that releases greenhouse gases (CO2) into the atmosphere, explains Yuers. Cement is the ‘glue’ that holds concrete together. 

“Sustainability efforts in the construction industry have focused on reducing the use of cement, and replacing it with alternatives like magnesium and crushed limestone.”  

Researcher Shahria Alam, professor of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia and director of the Green Construction Research and Training Centre, studies ways to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint. “In our lab, we have been looking into reusing wood ash to partially replace cement.” 

In 2013, Alam introduced green concrete in the Okanagan Valley, B.C., on several construction projects downtown. “It proved green concrete is as good or, in some cases, even better than ready mix concrete.”

It is a common misconception that green concrete will not hold up over time compared to its regular concrete predecessor, says Alam. 

“There are positives and negatives,” he says. “And, we have to think about the long term.”  

Additionally, the adoption of green concrete in the construction industry has come with some resistance as there is a misconception that it is more costly than traditional concrete, explains Yuers. 

“In any established industry, change doesn’t come overnight,” says Kiva Bottero, director of Green Building Canada. 

Bottero anticipates if more manufacturing companies produce their own green concrete then upfront costs will eventually decline. 

“There is already a federal government push for sustainable building practices. The standards are going to get stricter,” says Bottero. According to the CAC, there will be a progress review in 2025, to discern if Canada will make its 40 per cent target. 

“The pressure to improve sustainability in the concrete industry is necessary. We [Canada] have to do it,” says Yuers, who also suspects manufacturing companies will produce eco-friendly technology and equipment to accompany its line of green concrete. 

“Now, reusable sensors can be rented for specialized cement equipment, like concrete trucks,” says Yuers. “A lot of companies, like ours, are discovering they are green.”   

Macenzie Rebelo is the associate editor of Canadian Rental Service and Rock to Road. You can contact her at mrebelo@annexbusinessmedia.com.