Daily life would be impossible without quarrying – the products from mineral extraction are playing an essential part that is often taken for granted.
No other materials can compete with mineral products for their versatility, durability and availability. We have come to rely on these raw materials and the products derived from them, for every aspect of our lives.
Today in Britain the average family indirectly creates the demand for a typical lorry load (20 tonnes) of mineral products every year – including sand, gravel and crushed rock, along with cement, concrete and asphalt.
Our towns, cities and national infrastructure (transport, utilities, etc) are made from products derived from minerals. Even steel and glass cannot be made without essential minerals like limestone and high-purity silica sand. The relative ease, comfort, safety and security we enjoy in our everyday lives depends on a reliable supply of raw materials from the ground.
Approximately half of all mineral products used in Britain go to public sector projects from social housing, schools and hospitals to roads, railways and flood defences.
The other half is used by the private sector for housing, retail and leisure facilities, commercial and industrial developments, and essential energy and water infrastructure.
