News
Is Concrete Green?
May 13, 2008
Concrete has the ability to be a sustainable and green product despite the high amounts of initial energy that are required to produce the portland cement used in its formation. Our take at Concrete Cat is that concrete is just as “green” as any other product depending on who the user is and how they decide to use the product. A three tonne truck can be environmentally friendly if it is being use efficiently and only when it is needed. Using this same mindset at Concrete Cat we are constantly thinking of new ways in which we can make our product a “greener” one.
1. Math – We adhere to the classic environmentally friendly adage “Reduce, reuse, recycle” Our formulas for calculating how much concrete is needed for each piece are broken down to the decimal point and are diligently used to make sure as little concrete as possible is wasted in our creation process.
2. Re-Use Molds – Some of the molds and forms we use are able to be re-used or at least re-purposed as other parts of molds or for counter undersides. Sometimes old mold materials can be used as supports in the moving process of concrete pieces. We have also found that many building site around the city are extremely wasteful and do not mind having some of their waste removed by us. We have found build materials for molds, work benches, and re-bar in dumpsters around job sites in the fine city of Edmonton, Alberta. Concrete Cat NEVER throws out building materials without first looking at where this material could be used again.
3. Recycle Concrete – Old and extra concrete can be used in many interesting and industrious ways. When ever we have extra concrete we always make sure we have something to pour it into. Maybe we make a few patio blocks or an anchor for a dock, maybe a a fun design piece for a garden or showroom. Recycling is not something you hire a company to come and do for you. We take personal responsibility to recycle our own products and in the process lessen our carbon footprint by not having waste hauled from our site by a disposal company.
4. Recycle Aggregate – Concrete Cat’s workshop is currently located on part of an old farm, as such we have found many interesting things that can be used as aggregate in new pieces. Waste pieces of glass, old metal and re-bar and even old broken concrete can all be used in the formation of new concrete. This drives back to our central theme of this article that maintaining a “green” product is a local responsibility, we hope that our example can show others how to take matters into your own hands and become environmentally responsible at a grass roots level.
5. Elbow Grease – Not everything needs to be done with machinery, some jobs can easily be done by hand. When ever we are mixing up just a few cubes of concrete we like to haul out the old wheel burrow and get a bit of a workout in the process. When a small job allows us to not use our machinery we make a conscience effort to not turn on the mixer and do a little mixing by hand. This not only saves energy but helps us to appreciate how much easier the mixer makes large jobs. Technology and electrical and carbon based energy are a true gift that need to be revered and appreciated. Only by changing the way we look at energy can we ever hope to change the way we use it.
6. Recycle Water – We have a few buckets of water around the shop for washing tools and hands or for wiping down forms and tables. Because most of what we are cleaning up is dust by the next day most of the dust has settle to the bottom of the bucket leaving a virtually clean bucket of water (with some sediment at the bottom) to use again. We have a rain barrel outside of the shop that we also use for water when it is possible, and now that it hopefully will not be frozen solid again for some time it is a great source of water for making concrete and cleaning tools.
7. Timeless Design – We try and design all Concrete Cat pieces with a sense of timelessness. This is usually achieved by having most of our designs be inspired by nature but it is not always the case. Some lines and geometry as well as colour and finish are so classic that they maintain a contemporary look to them no matter when they were created. I did not think this was possible until a saw some pictures of of a concrete kitchen that had been designed over 14 years ago. The kitchen felt fresh and vibrant despite its age, the design had a sense of relevance even though it had been created over 14 years ago. What this kitchen had was a sense of staying power and it would not need to be remodeled for many years, if ever. We hope that concretes sense of timelessness can help to make your kitchen design ageless and that our counters or furniture can become a monument in your home. By creating something that should never need to be replaced we hope design in and of itself can help make a product “green”.
These are only a few ways in which we can be an environmentally responsible company but what we hope to demonstrate with these examples are ways in which we can attack our environmental impact locally. Concrete Cat does not believe that anyone can do this for us, we need to look at ways we can be responsible with out looking to outside sources like government or municipal recycle programs or buying “carbon credits” to lessen our impact (or at least make us feel better about ourselves). If environmental responsibility is not first taken up at a local grass roots level it will never be manipulated by outside sources or enforced by the government.
