These Tiles Are Made from Recycled Eggshells

Nature Squared, a company that specializes in creating architectural products out of recycled natural waste, recently released a brand new tile option that is made using recycled egg shells. Eggshells are calcium-rich, naturally UV-resistant, and most surprisingly, make gorgeous tiles.

Despite being a natural material, eggshells won’t biodegrade unless they’re in the perfect environment. Therefore, they’re the perfect contender for being recycled into something useful.

The line of tiles is called CArrelé, the chemical symbol for calcium combined with the French word for tile, and is made from recycled white eggshells collected from local bakeries and kitchens in the Philippines. The shells are crushed into small bits and combined with a binding agent before being shaped into various shapes and sizes.

To color the tiles, Nature Squared uses natural dyes like madder, indigo, and chlorophyllin to get reds, blues, and greens. Or, the tiles are “toasted” to get shades of creams and browns.

The CArrelé tiles can be used as backsplashes or wall tiles in any room in the house, and Nature Squared is currently working on developing eggshell floor tiles. The company is even making home items like paperweights, bookends, candle holders, and small stools out of the composite material.

Nature Squared has also mastered the use of bamboo, seashells, dried tobacco leaves, and other natural waste to create beautiful design elements that can be installed in the home. Eggshells is the most recent undertaking and perhaps the most exciting — who knew your breakfast waste could be so beautiful?