The concrete industry is now the largest consumer of natural resources and one of the largest producers of waste. In Europe alone, the annual production of concrete is over 750 million m3, which corresponds to 4 tonnes of concrete per capita. Although concrete itself as a finished material does not have any harmful effect on the environment, the production of concrete components has an influence on the environment. In the production process and the use of cement, aggregate and water in concrete, ecological aspects should be considered. Different aspects of making concrete production more environmentally friendly are analysed in this paper. The possibilities of using blended cements, new types of binders, recycled aggregates and treated waste water are discussed. The ecological aspects in the concrete industry include lowering CO2 emissions, the conservation of natural resources, and the construction of more durable structures. All these three aspects of sustainable concrete production are presented with special reference to the concrete industry in Croatia.
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