One Redditor went to r/composting to gauge thoughts on the potential benefits of adding cement to his mix.
In the post, they explained they know there are nutrients in cement, such as lime, and wondered if adding small amounts to their compost for the clay garden in their yard would be helpful.
"I can't find any concrete (punny) evidence or studies of using cement as an amendment," the OP wrote.
Gardening and composting come with built-in benefits. Studies and research have shown that those who garden are physically and mentally healthier than those who don't.
Native lawns save money and time by reducing the amount of needed maintenance and conserving water, which lowers utility bills.
Even rewilding a small patch of lawn, or planting clover or wildflowers, can help reduce costs while providing a stress-free habitat for pollinators such as bees, which are major indicators of environmental health and support our food supply.
Cement doesn't exactly scream life, but CBS News reported that it's the second-most used material in the world after water — not the greatest stat since the cement industry is a major global carbon pollution contributor.
The good news is that improvements are being made to reduce cement production's role in warming this planet. A Germany-based tech company is building the world's first carbon-neutral cement plant, a team at the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a "green cement" using microalgae, and researchers at Imperial College London created a carbon-capture cement using olivine.
One of the largest cement plants in the western United States will try a new technology that harvests carbon dioxide exhaust that usually gets released into the air, using it to create a cleaner and greener cement.
Fingers crossed that these innovations are successful and can be implemented worldwide.
Users who reacted to the post agreed that cement was not the best choice.
"It just sounds like a bad idea," one commenter said.
"The problem with cement is, it's a caustic reactive chemical that sucks water out of whatever it touches," another warned.
"Add copious amounts of organic matter," a Redditor suggested.
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