It is important to remember that sustainability is a multidisciplinary concept that focuses on three major areas – environmental protection, social equity and economic growth. These pillars are key aspects in understanding how sustainability can be a successful business strategy in the aggregates industry. Often, especially with a focus on federal and state-level regulatory efforts, businesses primarily focus on the environmental component of sustainability. Yet it is important to remember that decisions do not occur in a vacuum and that the economic and social components of sustainability are just as critical as the environmental one.

In 2023, it was estimated that approximately 40 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from the construction industry. While most of those emissions are considered operational, the embodied carbon content of construction products remains a contributor to global emissions. Incorporating sustainable practices into aggregates production will not just help reduce emissions. It may also help with other issues important to aggregates production, such as workforce development needs, efforts to extend the life-of-mine of facilities, pit optimization plans and community relations goals.

From the Ground Up: Environmental Impacts of Aggregates

When considering the environmental impacts of aggregates production, one thing that may surprise the public is that the aggregates industry produces relatively low-emission products compared to downstream construction products like ready-mix concrete and asphalt. While aggregates make up a large portion of the volume of these downstream products, their contribution to total global warming potential (GWP) is often less than five percent. However, across the entire supply chain, the impacts of transporting aggregates to other facilities often exceed those of aggregates production after only 25 miles. Best practices, such as limiting downtime, reducing plant material recirculation and reducing energy needs are all actions a facility can take to reduce its GWP.

The environmental impact from transporting aggregates is why predictable permitting and optimizing reserves are critical to the long-term success of operations. This aspect of land use is becoming a greater focus for policymakers, but fortunately, aggregates producers have a history of responsible land management practices. Most aggregates operations have a reclamation plan with former pits being turned into parks, commercial spaces or reservoirs for local communities. Some closed operations are even used in flood mitigation strategies to help redirect and store water during flooding events. When local wetlands or streams must be relocated to expand pits, the materials needed for restoration activities often come from the very quarries impacting the wetlands.

The Human Side of Sustainability

The social component of sustainability is something every aggregates producer deals with, even if it is unintentional. Primary considerations include workforce development, worker safety and community engagement. Social sustainability is often a hard concept to quantify, with a nearly infinite number of metrics to consider. One important category of metrics is workplace safety metrics. While providing personnel with a safe and clean workplace seems like "just the right thing to do," it also maintains long-term employment at facilities. Numerous studies have shown that unsafe work conditions not only lead to accidents and lost time but also low employee morale and a high workforce turnover rate.

Another important set of factors impacting the human side of sustainable aggregates operations is the producer’s social license to operate. While not a physical license to obtain, the goodwill from practices, such as open communication, supporting local businesses, managing noise and dust and educating the public about the industry are essential to long-term operations.

Why Sustainability Makes Economic Sense

Economic success is a component of sustainability that is often neglected. A facility that implements many sustainable practices but cannot turn a profit will go out of business and be unable to make a positive effect on their community. Economically sustainable operations also provide important employment and development opportunities within their communities, further strengthening a facility’s local impact.

When considering the balance between environmental and economic sustainability, the aggregates sector is fortunate that there are two primary components that dictate the site’s GWP – fuel consumption and electrical usage. By becoming more efficient and spending less on energy, producers not only reduce emissions but increase profits. When considering the social aspects of sustainability and economics, unsafe workplaces often experience more unscheduled downtime and incidents that directly affect a producer’s earnings. There are numerous other examples, but at the end of the day, prioritizing sustainability just makes good business sense for aggregates operations.

New Ideas and Circular Thinking

As the aggregates industry continues to evolve, new ideas and technologies are playing an important role in sustainable operations. More aggregates producers are adding recycled materials, such as recycled-concrete aggregates and reclaimed asphalt products, to their portfolios. Using recycled material, along with efforts to reuse or repurpose conveyor belts, steel and other production components, is part of the circular thinking that is important for facilities seeking to optimize their economic profiles, reduce their environmental impacts and extend their current reserves.

New technologies and methods for measuring and monitoring production are also contributing to the industry’s sustainability. The next generation of mobile fleets feature additions, such as telematics, alternative fuel options and automation. These help keep the workforce safe, attract new talent and optimize operations and reduce operating costs, downtime and emissions.

Strong Foundations for a Sustainable Future

The key takeaway when talking about sustainability and aggregates is that the industry is already doing a great job considering all three aspects of sustainability – environment, people and profit. The next step is to continue these efforts by improving environmental responsibility and community involvement, all while keeping the bottom line in mind. This can be done not only with new technology and expensive practices, but also simple concepts, such as improving communication between operators and the local community. The aggregates industry is an essential component of our country’s infrastructure, and by adopting long-term sustainable practices, producers will remain important for decades to come.

Originally published in the July/August REVIEW Magazine.