Mineral aggregates (sand and gravel) have been the fastest growing and the most volumetrically extracted material group extracted over the 21st century. This growth has been associated with large-scale ecological degradation and violent localized extractive operations. Further, the ongoing rates of sand extraction are already resulting in emerging global and local sand scarcities. However, there is a significant lack of critical analysis of the ongoing patterns of consumption and distribution of aggregate resources, as well as on alternative pathways to address their overextraction and inefficient distribution. This article conducts a systemic qualitative literature review to a) highlight the basis of high rates of sand extraction by exploring its interlinkages with economic growth and development; and b) conceptualize alternative pathways for aggregate utilization in a socio-ecologically viable manner. It articulates how economic growth and development lie at the foundation of over-extraction and inefficient distribution of aggregates, and proposes that solutions to the emergent sand crisis lie in critical scholarly works that discuss post-growth based systemic changes. It analyses post-growth, post-development, steady-state economics, and degrowth literature to provide alternative approaches for transitions that can simultaneously address both the reduction of overall throughput and more equitable distribution of aggregates. It concludes with five post-growth proposals: reduction of per-capita units of consumption of sand-based products; designing and implementing degrowth cities; revival of traditional and vernacular architectures, designs and knowledges; transitioning away from concrete as the primary building material by exploring location and climate specific alternate building materials; and reducing, limiting, or banning mega-infrastructures and mega-structures.

矿物骨料（沙子和砾石）是 21 世纪增长最快、提取体积最大的材料组。这种增长与大规模的生态退化和暴力的局部采掘作业有关。此外，持续不断的采砂率已经导致全球和当地出现新的沙子稀缺。然而，对于当前的总资源消耗和分配模式以及解决过度开采和分配效率低下的替代途径，严重缺乏批判性分析。本文进行了系统的定性文献回顾，以 a) 通过探索高采砂率与经济增长和发展的相互联系来突出其基础；b) 以社会生态上可行的方式构思综合利用的替代途径。它阐明了经济增长和发展如何成为过度开采和总量分配效率低下的基础，并提出解决正在出现的沙尘危机的方法在于讨论基于后增长的系统性变化的批判性学术著作。它分析了后增长、后发展、稳态经济学和去增长文献，为转型提供替代方法，这些方法可以同时解决总体吞吐量的减少和更公平的总量分配问题。最后提出了五个后增长建议：减少人均单位消费沙基产品；设计和实施去增长城市；传统和乡土建筑的复兴，设计和知识；通过探索位置和气候特定的替代建筑材料，从混凝土作为主要建筑材料过渡；减少、限制或禁止超大型基础设施和超大型建筑。