A research team based out of Texas A&M University is developing a new way to construct greener 3D-printed buildings. The method uses soil instead of concrete, a common building material that is notoriously damaging to the environment.

　　Concrete is recognized as an unsustainable construction material. It is the second most used substance on Earth, after water. The cement industry emits more carbon dioxide than nearly every country in the world; only China and the US produce more.

The International Energy Agency estimates that the production of concrete is responsible for 7% of all CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the material cannot be reused or recycled.

　　Sarbajit Banerjee, a professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering at Texas A&M, is hoping that printing buildings out of soil found locally will provide a sustainable alternative to concrete. The main hurdle for the researchers is to find a way to improve the load-bearing capability of soil so that it can be used in large-scale projects.

　　Banerjee hopes that this method of using soil local to the building site will “pave the way for building designs that are specifically adapted to the needs of local climates, instead of cookie-cutter houses.”

Additionally, using more locally sourced materials will make construction projects more environmentally friendly since it will cut down on the cost of transporting materials.

　　The researchers are still working on making this technology viable for homes and buildings. Yet, their end goal is much more lofty. The team plans to look into how this building method could be used not just on Earth, but on the Moon or even Mars.