Silvi currently uses solar arrays at our Belle Mead, NJ, rock quarry and our Southampton, NJ, ready-mix plant and office. These solar installations have reduced our energy costs at these locations by approximately 50%. Additionally, they help lower our “capacity tag,” which measures electricity usage during peak hours when grid demand is highest. By using solar power, we ease the strain on the local power supply by offsetting some of the significant energy draws from our operations.
We are also in the process of installing floating solar arrays at our Franklin, NJ, sand mine. Once installation is complete, we will assess the real-world benefits of floating solar to determine if they align with our predictions. If the results are favorable, we will consider expanding the use of floating solar to our other locations with lakes.
Sometimes, our concrete mixers return with unused concrete in their barrels. Instead of discarding this material, we recycle it in one of two ways:
Recycling concrete is a highly sustainable construction practice that promotes a circular economy by minimizing landfill waste, conserving virgin resources, and reducing the carbon footprint associated with material mining, processing, and transportation.
CarbonCure offsets carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cement production by injecting captured CO2 into concrete during mixing at our Philadelphia central mix plant. Through CO2 mineralization, the gas is permanently converted into a nano-sized mineral within the concrete, preventing it from reentering the atmosphere. This process enhances the concrete’s compressive strength, reducing the amount of cement needed in the mix and, consequently, lowering CO2 emissions.
On average, each cubic yard of CarbonCure-produced concrete saves 15–25 pounds of CO2, with buildings constructed using it saving approximately 680 metric tons of embodied carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the CO2 absorbed by 889 acres of forest in a year. Learn more about CarbonCure.
At Silvi Materials, we are committed to sustainability, with a fleet of 50 concrete mixers and tractor units running on compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG, made from methane extracted from underground deposits and compressed for efficiency, is a cleaner alternative to diesel, reducing emissions of pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Our Morrisville, PA, plant features a modern CNG fueling station with lines running directly to each truck’s parking spot, ensuring efficient and eco-friendly refueling. Additionally, the CNG we use is blended with renewable natural gas (RNG). RNG, produced from organic waste such as landfills and agricultural byproducts, is chemically identical to CNG and offers a carbon-neutral solution by capturing methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This blend enhances our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and supporting a sustainable future.
At Silvi Materials, we are committed to sustainability through resource conservation. Our ready-mix operations currently use e-ticketing via the Keystone
Dispatch program. In the next 6-12 months, we will transition all of our aggregate operations to an
e-ticketing platform. Each e-ticket saves four sheets of paper. In 2023, we issued 192,641 e-tickets, which translates to saving 770,564 sheets of paper—equivalent to 1,541 reams, or 92 trees.
Additionally, our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system will feature paperless workflows. Vendor invoices will be sent, scanned, cataloged, and stored electronically. Purchase orders (POs) will also be processed electronically, eliminating the need for printed copies and signatures. While all of our aggregate haulers are currently paid via ACH transactions, we plan to extend this payment method to all vendors in the future.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are the international standard for measuring the Global Warming Potential (GWP) or carbon footprint of products, including concrete and construction materials. Increasingly influencing purchasing decisions, EPDs are third-party verified and provide standardized, transparent information about a product’s environmental impact, similar to a nutrition label.
All Silvi Concrete ready-mix plants are EPD certified by Climate Earth, demonstrating up to a 40% reduction in GWP scores for our ready-mix concrete. Although extremely ambitious, a major goal at Silvi Materials is to achieve carbon neutrality for all of our concrete within the next decade. For more information on EPDs and how they can benefit your project, please contact your local Silvi sales representative.
