One company is proving that living in harmony with our environment doesn't need to come at the expense of human innovation and comfort.
ECOncrete, which was founded in 2012, has developed what Power Technology called the "concrete for the future," with the material able to preserve or enhance biodiversity in marine ecosystems.
"The technology package is based on a few materials that are added into local concrete. ... With these, we control the chemical composition of the concrete in such a way that it will not harm biology and the growth of biology," ECOncrete CEO and co-founder Dr. Ido Sella told Alex Donaldson in an interview for the outlet.
This additive creates a chemical alteration from traditional concrete, which is used in roughly 70% of all marine infrastructure projects, per Donaldson, and thus helps marine life like oysters, corals, and barnacles better attach to the material.
ECOncrete said on its website that its patented technology also improves water quality and captures carbon, a heat-trapping gas that contributes to the overheating of our planet and ocean acidification — a process that has been linked to the deaths of popular seafood organisms.
"By promoting the growth of those organisms on the concrete you naturally increase the capacity of the concrete in terms of carbon sequestration," Sella explained in the interview with Donaldson. "... For example, a port sea wall can generate the same amount of carbon sequestrations as 100 adult trees each year."
The reportedly increased durability of the company's product also means that less habitat-disrupting maintenance is required, while a longer lifespan reduces the amount of harmful pollution associated with the construction process.
As Princeton University detailed, traditional concrete is the "highest consumed product on Earth besides water," accounting for 4.4 billion tons of carbon pollution annually.
ECOncrete says on its website that it has 40 initiatives in 13 countries and nine seas.
Its solutions include a project to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in New Zealand while supporting coastal birds, shoreline stabilization in Brooklyn, New York, and parts for offshore wind turbines, which generate clean energy.
While the company also has a presence in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Sella told Donaldson that it hopes to expand to Africa and Latin America.
"Now we are at the point that we are providing a technology that can be implemented in whatever you want to build," Sella said.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Cool Picks
