Case Study:

A low carbon, circular approach to concrete procurement

City of Zurich
Objective:
A low carbon, circular approach to concrete procurement

Zurich has long strived to use as much recycled concrete as possible in its public building projects as aggregate. The inclusion of recycled aggregates helps close material loops related to concrete, which makes it more circular. While the use of recycled concrete is beneficial in terms of resource recovery, it does not address the other significant environmental impact: CO2 emissions embodied in cement production. It is possible to reduce the GHG emissions of concrete by replacing a portion of clinker in cement with a lower emission ingredient. The City, therefore, has required the use of reduced CO2 cement in new buildings since 2013.