We at Mojo Concrete believe that as a company we should be as environmentally responsible as possible. We did not initially set out to market our products as a green alternative to other products, but focused our energies on trying to set up our production processes in a manner that reduced our raw materials used for mold making, and on trying to divert as much material as possible out of the waste stream. This focus made good business sense in that raw material and waste disposal costs were minimized, as well as made good sense from an environmental standpoint.

We have received a great number of inquiries as to the "green" nature of concrete primarily from people that are making an attempt to make purchasing decisions based in part at least on the environmental impact of the products under consideration. We provide below a qualitative analysis of our product's environmental impact based on the information that we have at this time. As we learn more, we will include additional information.

We have several different concrete mix recipes that we use. This allows us to provide clients with differing design ideas a wide variety of aesthetic options. When concrete is ground during the finishing process, the sand and aggregate are exposed. The physical appearance (color, shape, size) of the sand and aggregate in conjunction with integral pigments and the type of cement (gray or white), determine how a piece will look.

We use two types of sand that are both quarried in Rochester, Minnesota. This material is transported by truck to our Pine Island facility. There is no packaging. We also get a 3/8" pea rock aggregate from the same quarry. This is also transported with no packaging. All of these materials are natural, in the sense that they are not processed in any way except being shaken through screens to sort materials by size.

Our concrete countertops and sinks are approximately 70 to 75% sand and aggregate by weight. The bulk of the remaining weight is composed of cement. Our cement comes from a plant in Mason City, Iowa. The cement is packaged in 94 pound plastic lined paper bags. It is possible to obtain bulk cement (transported by truck without packaging) but in the small quantities that we use, most of a bulk shipment would probably be wasted because cement is reactive to atmospheric moisture and has a limited shelf life.

From the standpoint of minimizing the transportation, processing and packaging costs associated with the production of a concrete countertop, any mix recipe that uses the Rochester quarry for its sand and aggregate would be as "green" a product as we can produce. This "green mix" would have approximately 95-97% of the material by weight originating within a 100 mile radius of our production facility, and have little processing and no packaging for any of the sand and aggregate.

We have produced countertops using an aggregate quarried in Iowa (dolomite). This aggregate is quarried and then crushed before it is screened to sort for size. This is transported with no packaging but the transport distance is greater than that from the Rochester quarry. A product made with this aggregate would be less "green" than one made with all Rochester based materials because the aggregate must be crushed and then transported a greater distance. This aggregate has different shape and color characteristics than the 3/8" pea rock quarried in Rochester and its use results in a piece with different aesthetic qualities.

It is possible to make concrete that is very light - almost white - in color. Some people want this look and they want it in concrete. In order to obtain this look, quartz sand and white marble aggregates must be used. These must be processed and packaged and shipped and would certainly be less "green" than either of the other two options explored above.

It is also possible to use a wide variety of other decorative aggregates. As a rule, these are selected when aesthetics are primary criteria because these aggregates are typically quarried, processed and packaged in some other part of the country and must be shipped to our facility. This results in greater financial cost to the end user and greater environmental impact.

Each individual needs to decide how to balance the design freedom allowed by aggregate selection with the environmental cost associated with its use.