4 ms·

It's funny you should say this - I just recently was on an airplane with a bunch of folks returning from a big Vegas concrete convention. Eavesdropping a bit he

It's funny you should say this - I just recently was on an airplane with a bunch of folks returning from a big Vegas concrete convention. Eavesdropping a bit here and there, it seemed the topic of "greener" concrete was big. The person in the seat next to me was describing how they recently started using a concrete and steel fiber mix so they could pour less and achieve the same strength and durability - the main "customer pitch" she told me was that it would was a lot greener. No idea if any of that is true, but it was interesting to see how focused on it they all were.

ceejayoz 5y ago
I'd imagine it's kinda like "clean coal" - more marketing buzzword than actual significant benefit.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- TheFreim 5y ago
  > significant benefit Isn't at least a little benefit alright? It's not "significant benefit" or "nothing.
  - ceejayoz 5y ago
    Not necessarily. At times, a tiny band-aid on things can be counterproductive. See replacing plastic straws with paper/reusable ones; it's a drop in the bucket, and it's used in part to distract from the much larger overall issue of single-use plastics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing
    - TheFreim 5y ago
      I don't see how paper straws distract from anything. Every time I see a paper straw my immediate thoughts are about how it's not plastic that'll be getting thrown out.
      - ceejayoz 5y ago
        https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/more-recycling-wont-solve-plastic-pollution/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/more-recyc... > At face value, these efforts seem benevolent, but they obscure the real problem, which is the role that corporate polluters play in the plastic problem. This clever misdirection has led journalist and author Heather Rogers to describe Keep America Beautiful as the first corporate greenwashing front, as it has helped shift the public focus to consumer recycling behavior and actively thwarted legislation that would increase extended producer responsibility for waste management. > For example, back in 1953, Vermont passed a piece of legislation called the Beverage Container Law, which outlawed the sale of beverages in non-refillable containers. Single-use packaging was just being developed, and manufacturers were excited about the much higher profit margins associated with selling containers along with their products, rather than having to be in charge of recycling or cleaning and reusing them. Keep America Beautiful was founded that year and began working to thwart such legislation. Vermont lawmakers allowed the measure to lapse after four years, and the single-use container industry expanded, unfettered, for almost 20 years.
    - shkkmo 5y ago
      I don't see any evidence that the push against plastic straws is used to distract from other single use plastics. Indeed, I see the opposite. I see advocacy groups that are fighting against single use plastics using anti plastic straws campaigns as a way to spark conversations about other kinds of single use plastics.
- NoOneNew 5y ago
  No, there are some companies actually trying to create "greener" cements and concrete formulations. We can absolutely split hairs about it, but some are significantly better than conventional and are in the pipeline for use. However, still years away due to regulation testing and standards adoption.

ceejayoz 5y ago

I'd imagine it's kinda like "clean coal" - more marketing buzzword than actual significant benefit.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
TheFreim 5y ago
> significant benefit Isn't at least a little benefit alright? It's not "significant benefit" or "nothing.
- ceejayoz 5y ago
  Not necessarily. At times, a tiny band-aid on things can be counterproductive. See replacing plastic straws with paper/reusable ones; it's a drop in the bucket, and it's used in part to distract from the much larger overall issue of single-use plastics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing
  - TheFreim 5y ago
    I don't see how paper straws distract from anything. Every time I see a paper straw my immediate thoughts are about how it's not plastic that'll be getting thrown out.
    - ceejayoz 5y ago
      https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/more-recycling-wont-solve-plastic-pollution/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/more-recyc... > At face value, these efforts seem benevolent, but they obscure the real problem, which is the role that corporate polluters play in the plastic problem. This clever misdirection has led journalist and author Heather Rogers to describe Keep America Beautiful as the first corporate greenwashing front, as it has helped shift the public focus to consumer recycling behavior and actively thwarted legislation that would increase extended producer responsibility for waste management. > For example, back in 1953, Vermont passed a piece of legislation called the Beverage Container Law, which outlawed the sale of beverages in non-refillable containers. Single-use packaging was just being developed, and manufacturers were excited about the much higher profit margins associated with selling containers along with their products, rather than having to be in charge of recycling or cleaning and reusing them. Keep America Beautiful was founded that year and began working to thwart such legislation. Vermont lawmakers allowed the measure to lapse after four years, and the single-use container industry expanded, unfettered, for almost 20 years.
  - shkkmo 5y ago
    I don't see any evidence that the push against plastic straws is used to distract from other single use plastics. Indeed, I see the opposite. I see advocacy groups that are fighting against single use plastics using anti plastic straws campaigns as a way to spark conversations about other kinds of single use plastics.
NoOneNew 5y ago
No, there are some companies actually trying to create "greener" cements and concrete formulations. We can absolutely split hairs about it, but some are significantly better than conventional and are in the pipeline for use. However, still years away due to regulation testing and standards adoption.