Choosing Decorative Aggregates & Glass for Landscaping: My TCO Breakdown (Pebble vs. Crushed Glass vs. Perlite)

Decorative Aggregates: No Single 'Best' Choice, It Depends on Your Situation

So you're looking at clear colored glass block, expanded perlite, pebble stone, sand frosted glass, custom gravel, or decorative crushed glass for a project. Honestly, I get it. There are a ton of options, and it's easy to get stuck comparing price-per-pound without seeing the bigger picture.

I'm not a landscape architect. I'm a procurement manager. For the past six years, I've been managing our company's materials budget—roughly $180,000 in cumulative spending—for everything from office interiors to our facility's grounds. When we redid our plaza and entryway last year, I had to pick between these exact categories. Here's how I broke it down, with a focus on what actually shows up on the invoice and what comes back to bite you later.

The honest truth? There's no universal winner. The best choice depends on your specific use case: pedestrian traffic, visual goals, maintenance tolerance, and budget constraints. Let's get into it.