Scientists at Egypt's Mansoura University are part chefs, part geologists, and part engineers as they develop a geopolymer concrete mix that puts to use a couple of troublesome waste streams — without cement. 

The team is experimenting with a variety of quarry powders, ground plastic, and crumb rubber with the goal of delivering a sustainable, better-performing product compared to cement-based slurries, according to an abstract published by Scientific Reports. 

Cement production is the most polluting part of concrete, which is widely reported to account for up to 8% of the world's air pollution. Geopolymer mixes — with inorganic polymers that bind during chemical reactions — require six times less energy, producing up to nine times less carbon dioxide, Mansoura's team added. 

The trick is finding the right recipe for a slurry that hardens reliably and durably. For their part, the ingredients are readily available. 

Quarry dust is produced when rocks are pulverized to make stone products. Studies have associated the particles with breathing problems for quarry workers and residents in nearby neighborhoods. 

Americans alone discard 280 million tires a year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. And the tens of millions of tons of plastic waste that PBS reported is produced each year can take centuries to degrade. 

Mansoura's success would mean less demolition landfill waste, energy and cost savings, and pollution reductions — if the team's final product is ever scaled widely for construction. 

Parts of the report read like an ingredient list. But instead of parsley, salt, and pepper, percentages of granite, basalt, and dolomite are noted, along with rubber and plastic. The mixtures were heated at different temperatures and exposed to water or air at key stages. 

"All … mixes showed better performance than the cement-based concrete," the experts wrote in the abstract.

While the new materials held up well under high heat for hours of testing, all mixes "lost strength" at 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit at two hours of exposure, representing an extreme temperature limit, per the study. 

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"Microstructural analyses showed a thick and even structure for the … mixes, supporting their relatively high strength. This study demonstrates the substantial potential," the experts added. 

Concrete research is getting attention in labs around the world. One multi-university team is experimenting with rice husk ash as a supplement in mixes. Other projects are astonishingly using bacteria to form structures that could one day form buildings. And contractors are already using 3D-printed slurries in a growing number of projects. 

The cutting-edge research will likely take some time to make an impact on a large scale, though 3D-printed communities are becoming more common. In the meantime, smart upgrades are available to mostly anyone.

A heat pump is an increasingly affordable HVAC improvement that can lower your utility rate with a better heating and cooling experience. But even some better-placed insulation and caulking can weatherize your home and improve its efficiency, saving you hundreds of dollars a year. 

At Mansoura, the researchers were encouraged by the study's results. They intend to continue analyzing mixed varieties, testing for strength and durability.

"This study suggests several future research directions," they wrote. This includes "freeze-thaw stability and shrinkage. In addition, life cycle analysis and carbon dioxide emissions analysis are recommended for future studies."

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