Some natural materials appear flimsy. But on closer inspection they turn out to be incredibly robust.
Take spider’s silk, for example. But it’s equally true of egg shells, which are already involved in strengthening teeth and bones.
Now a Swiss design team has gone a step further and used them to develop tiles. First stop is the Philippines where discarded organic shells are collected from catering businesses.
The shells are crushed into tiny fragments and mixed with a binding agent. After being cured at room temperature, natural dyes can be added.
Finally the shells are fired and cut. The project’s aim is to use available resources, generate less waste and make the construction industry more sustainable.
Egg-cellent!
