Making Concrete and Steel Greener

Concrete is the second most used commodity in the world, water comes first. From skyscrapers, roads to bridges, concrete also has one of the most carbon-intensive manufacturing processes. It is made by heating limestone and melting it. Not only does heating emit lots of carbon dioxide, but the chemical process also releases a lot of carbon dioxide. Steel is also one of the most important modern materials which is responsible for lots of carbon emissions.

The recent Nature article suggests ways of reducing the emissions from concrete and steel. 

1. Limit Use: Most structures are over engineered for the sake of safety, less carbon-intensive materials can be used in place of steel and concrete. 
2. Reinventing Steel and Concrete: Years of research have now made it possible to use different materials at different stages of manufacturing processes that will help reduce carbon emission while maintaining the quality.
3. Switching Fuels: Turning to more sustainable fuel types for production and transportation of products.
4. Carbon Capture: Technology for capturing carbon directly from the air is here, industries can use it to offset their footprint, or invest in carbon credits. 
5. Recycling and Subsidizing: Putting up systems of effectively recycling steel that’s already in use and by subsidizing the change to sustainable materials or sustainable energy sources.