"Wonderful way to breathe new life into construction debris"

"Building demolitions, renovations and conversions: Every year, more than 50 million tons of construction waste are generated throughout Germany. A large proportion of this is recycled and used for road construction, for example, while the rest ends up in landfills. Our recycled tiles are a wonderful way to breathe new life into this material. The base material for our SHARDS is exclusively mineral construction waste: Bricks and waste glass.

The tiles were created during our product design studies at the Kassel Art Academy. We wanted to develop a sustainable product that consists of 100 percent recycled material. That is still the exception. Even though many companies advertise recycled products, other materials are often added, for example as binders.

It took two years to develop the formulations.  The mixing ratio of brick and recycled glass was changed again and again, and the firing temperature varied. This perseverance has paid off. Today we have an attractive SHARDS collection. Our tiles come in shades of green, turquoise, gray and brown, with glossy or matte surfaces. Color and texture depend on the particular recipe. Nevertheless, no two tiles are alike, each one seems to tell its own story. This is precisely what gives our product a lively aesthetic.

We have received a lot of encouragement for our sustainable idea. Among other things, our SHARDS were awarded the German Ecodesign Prize. Subsequently, the Hessen Ideen Stipendium (Hessen Ideas Scholarship) enabled us to further refine our product and to push ahead with the founding of our company. A pilot project is currently being implemented: In Heidelberg, the new cafeteria of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research is being equipped with a SHARDS tile backsplash. There are also some architects who have already signaled their interest in working with us.

Our tiles are still made by hand, and so far we have been using the ceramics workshop at the art academy. In order to further develop our process, we would like to purchase a spacious electric kiln in the near future. We also plan to cooperate with recycling companies that collect and crush the basic material for us. In addition, we would be happy to have support for our team. Anyone who would like to work with us on the further development of SHARDS is welcome to contact us at mail@shardstiles.com. All industries are welcome."