CArrelé by ethical brand Nature Squared in collaboration with designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng is a series of high-performance tiles made of eggshell waste.
31 August 2021
Text by Janice Seow
Every year, some 250,000 tons of eggshell waste is produced worldwide and much of it goes to landfills. So it’s not surprising that the newly debuted series of CArrelé high-performance, sustainable tiles, made from discarded eggshells, is gaining international attention. In fact, it was named “The Influencer” at the recent 2021 INDE Awards.
CArrelé was created by British-Chinese designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng, the newly appointed chief material innovator for Nature Squared. It is one of her first projects for the UK-based studio that turns natural waste materials such as seashells and feathers into sustainable construction material.
Through extensive research, the designer was able to develop a new composite capable of extending the shelf life of eggshells in an ‘egg-loop’ ecosystem.
“Although we tend to associate [eggshells] with fragility, it is actually very strong and naturally UV-resistant, and the ethereal chalk white colour that we have sourced absorbs natural colours sustainably in fascinating ways, making it a wonderful building material,” Elaine says.
The tiles are handmade at Nature Squared’s Cebu production facilities, where white eggshells from local bakeries, kitchens and Nature Squared’s own eggshell inlay atelier are crushed into different sizes and combined with binding agent. Natural dyes are added before it is cured at room temperature to create a square metre of tile.
These recyclable bio tiles are available as lightweight square, rectangular and triangular shapes and in four styles, and are suited for indoor and wall applications.
Toasted’s earthy tones range from cream to dark toast brown, while the colours of Natural Dye are achieved with indigo, chlorophyllin and madder. Hybrid‘s hues come from a combination of natural dying and toasting, and there is also a 3D hand-moulded tile.
Beyond tiles, Elaine has designed a range of minimalist stools and accessories to demonstrate the versatility of CArrelé’s eco-friendly eggshell surface.
CArrelé sustainable tiles is just the first series to be launched in The Calcium Brick Collection by Nature Squared, so keep your eyes peeled for more.
CArrelé is available internationally from Nature Squared
www.naturesquared.com
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