<p>Sustainability is required in the concrete manufacturing due to the environmental impact from the production of cement and the increasing buildup of industrial waste materials. Although waste marble powder (WMP) has been investigated as an additional material in combination of predictive modelling, environmental impact and mechanical performance in a single study. This study explores the feasibility of using WMP as a partial replacement for cement and sand in concrete mixes to enhance compressive strength and promote sustainability. Experimental results show that replacing cement and sand with 5%, 10%, and 15% WMP at combined cement -to -sand substitution ratio of 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25, respectively an improvement in compressive strength of up to 51.78%, 17.05% and 36.65% when compared with control mix. The incorporation of WMP enables significant reductions in cement use—up to 75%—without compromising, and often improving, performance. CO₂ emissions were determined by taking material substitution ratio and emission from cement manufacturing into account. Additionally, replacing cement with WMP resulted in a 11.25% reduction in CO₂ emissions, contributing to eco-friendly construction practices for mix C31. Based on WMP content, non-linear polynomial regression models were developed to accurately predict compressive strength and showed the better performance with accuracy (R² &gt; 0.95). The findings highlight that WMP not only improves mechanical performance but also lowers carbon emissions which make it potential as a sustainable, cost-effective material for concrete production, reducing environmental impact while enhancing structural properties.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>