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Ontario Construction Industry Leaders Call for More Sustainable & Cost-Effective Building Practices

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, along with a coalition of Ontario civil infrastructure leaders, builders, suppliers, and engineers has launched a campaign urging municipal and provincial government leaders to adopt policy changes that will increase sustainability in the construction of public infrastructure projects.

This includes a government mandate to use at least 20 percent Recycled Crushed Aggregate (RCA) for critical construction projects like roads, subdivisions, highways, bridges, and tunnels. This can save local governments more than $260 million while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 15 million cars from the road annually.

 “Recycled aggregates are cost-effective, sustainable, and high-performing and can help municipalities deliver more from their capital plans while helping to reach their net-zero targets,” said Raly Chakarova, Executive Director of the Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA). “Using more recycled materials in construction projects can preserve non-renewable resources, reduce waste and traffic congestion, and contribute to long-term sustainability.”

RCA is made from reclaimed concrete and asphalt that would otherwise end up in landfills. By adding it to upcoming infrastructure projects, RCA offers significant economic advantages for municipalities struggling to address a growing state of good repair backlog and the infrastructure investments needed to keep up with population growth.

Image: Airport Industry-News (https://airportindustry-news.com/toronto-pearson-opens-rehabilitated-runway-06l-24r/)

Provincial standards and extensive testing have shown RCA to be as high-performing as primary aggregate, and RCA already has a proven track record in Ontario, including in our 400-series highways, Pearson International Airport, house-enabling infrastructure in subdivisions, and Greater Toronto Area transit projects.

Across the world, governments are incentivizing the use of RCA through policies and regulations that accelerate the shift toward sustainable construction materials. A coalition of nine industry organizations advocates for municipal and provincial decision-makers to take the lead in Ontario and maximize RCA’s economic and environmental benefits.

At the municipal level:

  • Include the use of RCA in tenders for construction projects.
  • Mandate a minimum amount of RCA for all public infrastructure projects.
  • Harmonize municipal specifications for RCA through provincial standards.

At the provincial level:

  • Incentivize the use of RCA through funding for municipal infrastructure projects.
  • Prohibit municipalities from specifying “primary-only” in public infrastructure tenders.
  • Harmonize municipal specifications for RCA through provincial standards.
  • Mandate a minimum 20 percent RCA of aggregates used on all municipal, regional, and provincial public infrastructure projects.

Coalition Members

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