BRAMPTON—Brampton Brick, an Ontario block producer, has taken a concrete step toward sustainability.

The company will use technology developed by Halifax-based cleantech firm, CarbonCure Technologies Inc., to permanently sequester carbon dioxide-waste within the concrete it produces. The CO2 waste will be sourced from local polluters and integrated into the brick-maker’s products through an injection process.

“We care about reducing environmental impacts, and strive to be a leader in sustainability and innovation,” Dave Carter, COO of Brampton Brick, said “I’m proud to announce that Brampton Brick is the first in the industry to manufacture all concrete masonry units with CarbonCure’s CO2 recycling technology.”

The technology, which CarbonCure notes is an affordable retrofit for existing plants, has been installed on Brampton Brick’s manufacturing facilities in Hillsdale, Peel, and Brockville. 100 per cent of the concrete the company produces will now contain waste CO2, lowering Brampton Brick’s overall carbon footprint.

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And Carter said the company is already seeing CarbonCure products gain traction in the market from architects and developers who want to source green products.

“We continue to see project specifications coming in for CarbonCure products, which gives us an advantage over our competitors,” he said.

CarbonCure’s technology works by storing the CO2 from local polluters at a facility within pressurized vessels. The gas is then injected into the mixer, where the CO2 is permanently converted to a fine solid mineral blended within the concrete. Because the carbon is bonded within the concrete, it will not be released back into the atmosphere. In addition, the company says the fine particles are known to enhance the material properties of concrete.