A Sheffield-based start-up, earth4Earth, has developed environmentally-friendly bricks that absorb and permanently store greenhouse gases. The bricks capture carbon dioxide from the air around them and are manufactured using methods that do not produce it. The company uses soil excavated from construction sites, which would otherwise go to landfill, combined with a newly-developed binder to make the bricks stronger.
The binder is created at room temperature, releasing carbon in a solid form instead of a gas, unlike traditional brick production which requires heating limestone to high temperatures. The bricks are fully recyclable and can be crushed and turned into new bricks or used in soil as a fertiliser.
The bricks are manufactured using a newly-developed binder that creates lime at room temperature, reducing carbon emissions. They are made from soil excavated from construction sites, reducing waste. The bricks are fully recyclable and can be reused or repurposed.
“The creation of common building materials – such as traditional bricks and concrete – is having a huge impact,” said John Grant, senior lecturer in climate change and sustainability at Sheffield Hallam University. Theodore Hanein, co-founder of earth4Earth, said: “We are incredibly excited about how our work is going to help construction projects achieve net zero and the huge difference it will make in restoring planetary health.”
Image Courtesy: BBC
