I recently found out that recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is material made of crushed construction and demolition waste that mostly consists of concrete.  It may also be made up of sand, gravel and crushed stone, but it is mostly old concrete that is ground up.

One neat thing about this product is that it involves re-using waste materials that might otherwise go to a landfill site. Another bonus is that producers can manufacture a specific size and quality of the recycled concrete and this apparently makes it very cost-effective to purchase.

The first step in producing recycled concrete aggregate is to collect demolished concrete from places like roads, bridges and torn down buildings. These slabs of concrete are then crushed into large chunks. Finally the large chunks are mixed with an aggregate such as sand to give the end product the required consistency and density.

There is a company in Bristol, England called ETM Recycling, that has state-of-the-art equipment and extensive experience in this newly evolving field. They claim that because it is produced relatively easily, recycled concrete aggregate is considered more cost-effective than stone or regular concrete.

Rather than disturb the fragile ecosystem close to Barbers Lake and Long Sault Creek, Cavanagh Construction Ltd should refocus its priorities and move its existing conventional extraction process into a climate-smart, cost-saving initiative that reduces landfill, lowers hauling emissions and demonstrates a tangible commitment to planetary stewardship.