Circular Economy
Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA)
Definition
Recycled concrete aggregate is granular material produced by crushing and screening hardened concrete from demolition, used as a substitute for natural aggregate in road sub-bases, fill and — at higher quality grades — new structural concrete. Construction and demolition waste is one of the largest waste streams in developed economies, and concrete its largest component by mass.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
How it is used
RCA is specified in standards (e. g. , EN 12620 for aggregates), green building credits, and demolition waste regulations that increasingly mandate sorting and recovery targets.
Why it matters
Concrete's sheer scale means even partial aggregate substitution saves large volumes of virgin material and landfill space — a practical circularity lever available today.