The World’s First Ceramic Glazed Tiles Made From 100% Recycled Materials

Kitchens and bathrooms could soon be tiled more sustainably as a Lancashire-based manufacturer is developing a mass-produced tile made from 100% recycled waste materials.

Alusid Ltd was established in 2015 as a spin-out company from the University of Central Lancashire after its co-founders, Professor David Binns and Dr Alasdair Bremner, developed technology to transform recycled industrial ceramic, glass and mineral waste into surfacing products, such as tiles, table-tops and bars.

The company currently manufactures tiles with around 95% recycled content, but the glazes applied to the tops of the tiles are preventing them from achieving an entirely recycled product.

“Our tiles use the huge volumes of waste produced by the ceramics and glass industries, but we still use virgin materials in the glazes. A glaze made from waste would not only eliminate the need to mine new material and transport it long distances but also provide another opportunity to utilise industrial waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or low-value applications,” explains Dr Bremner. “It has the potential to save money, resources and CO₂ from transport and extraction.”

With funding from the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, the project involved an extensive search of possible sources of post-consumer and industrial glass and mineral waste, taking into consideration volume and sustainability of supply, as well as potential hazards from contaminated materials.

The most promising sources were then tested and analysed. “We found a number of potential sources, including soda lime glass, which is a by-product of road paint production, and china clay from the ceramics industry,” says Dr Bremner.

Having established viable glaze materials, the project team worked with another UK tile manufacturer, Original Style Ltd, to run firing tests in its kilns. “We tested the glazes for compatibility with our existing recycled tile body and fitness for purpose, such as crazing [cracking], scratch- and stain-resistance,” explains Prof Binns. “Alongside the technical aspect, we also considered the aesthetics. There’s no point in creating something sustainable and durable if no one wants to put it on their wall.”

Three proof-of-concept glaze finishes were successfully created – matte, gloss and satin – but identifying recycled oxides to colour the glazes proved more challenging. “The materials were either contaminated or contained too much variability for large-scale production. However, the oxides account for less than 1% of the tile, so although we’ll continue to look, it’s not a significant setback,” says Prof Binns.

The project has generated interest from Topps Tiles, the UK’s largest tile retailer, with which Alusid has a long-term partnership agreement. Costs need to be brought down further for commercial manufacturing and to resolve supply and variability issues, so the next step is to investigate the scaling of production by developing glazes suitable for mass production in fast-firing kilns.

“At a time when high energy prices are challenging the UK tile industry, it’s even more important we find ways of reducing costs, materials and energy. Producing the world’s first 100% recycled mass-produced, commercially available tile range would offer significant economic, social and environmental impacts,” adds Dr Bremner.

“A glaze made from waste would not only eliminate the need to mine new material and transport it long distances but also provide another opportunity to utilise industrial waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or low-value applications.”

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