When it comes to the eco-friendly ethos of “reduce, reuse, recycle,” road builders have found a new standard in recycled crush aggregate (RCA). RCA is an eco-friendly construction material that offers strong performance, sustainability and cost savings for road projects across Ontario.

What is Recycled Crush Aggregate?

RCA is made from reclaimed asphalt pavement and/or concrete rubble. Ongoing improvements to Ontario’s roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure result in the removal of tens of millions of tonnes of asphalt and concrete, which are 100 percent recyclable.

Once removed from a demolition site, they can be crushed and made into a new, recycled high-performance material with a variety of uses, from roads, bridges, sewers and watermains to transit hubs, airports and more. Depending on the original material, recycled crush aggregate can deliver many of the same performance benefits as traditional asphalt and concrete in new infrastructure projects.

With Ontario approaching its landfill capacity, transforming waste into a resource diverts tens of millions of tonnes annually.

What are some additional benefits of RCA?

When processed onsite, use of RCA also cuts carbon emissions, pollution and fuel costs associated with transportation of net new material from distant pits and quarries.

RCA reduces the demand for extracting new resources like stone, sand, gravel and petroleum. This helps extend the life of the pits and quarries from which primary aggregates are sourced.

With RCA readily available close to (or onsite at) demolition and construction locations, its use reduces traffic congestion and wear and tear on roads.

According to many studies, RCA matches or even outperforms primary aggregates in terms of its geotechnical abilities.

Where has RCA already been used?

Case study #1

Toronto Pearson International Airport’s circa-2006 Terminal 1 demolition, remediation and redevelopment resulted in the reclaiming of 253,000 tonnes of concrete rubble. It was all processed onsite and used in the apron subbase — the foundational layer placed underneath a concrete or asphalt surface — of the new Terminal 1.

Case study #2

According to the Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA), using 300,000 tonnes of RCA in a 2017 widening project on Highway 400 (between Major Mackenzie Drive and King Road, in Vaughan, Ont.), saved the provincial government $1.2 million.

Case study #3

York Region’s 2020 VivaNext road construction showed no structural issues (potholes, heaving, etc.) in March 2025, when a follow-up assessment was undertaken. TARBA notes that it hadn’t required additional maintenance at that time, either.

Advocacy for Sustainable Building Materials

CAA has partnered with TARBA’s coalition of stakeholders, which include municipal, engineer and trade associations, who are advocating for the use of RCA, especially at the municipal level to drive efficiencies and savings. Half of all municipal budgets are spent on construction and infrastructure improvements to meet the needs of growing cities and towns, and municipalities are the biggest consumers of aggregates in Ontario, using 180 million tonnes per year.

Municipalities should consider sustainability during the initial design phase of their linear infrastructure projects:

• Include the use of RCA in project tenders.
• Require a minimum amount of RCA to be used.
• Harmonize and standardize municipal specifications through the Ontario Provincial Standard Specifications.

To help maximize the environmental and economic benefits of RCA in linear infrastructure projects, the Government of Ontario can:

• Provide incentives for RCA use through provincial funding for municipalities.
• Prevent municipalities from specifying “primary-only” materials in tenders.
• Harmonize and standardize municipal specifications through the Ontario Provincial Standard Specifications.
• Require a minimum of 20 percent RCA in aggregates used at the municipal, regional and provincial levels.

With over 500 Canadian municipalities, including major cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, having declared a climate emergency, finding sustainable building materials that help to balance development with environmental responsibility is increasingly important. Currently, only seven percent or less come from recycled sources, with much attributed to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

TARBA is leading this initiative and CAA has joined a coalition of stakeholders calling for updated standards so that recycled crushed aggregate use becomes more common place and drives efficiencies and cost savings.