Published 14:05 IST, May 4th 2020
This Mumbai startup is turning polluted air into carbon tiles!
A Mumbai startup called Carbon Craft Design has come up with carbon tiles that are a game-changer for climate change. Continue reading for all the details.
Air pollution is a common cause of environmental illnesses among people all around the world. Of all the different kinds of toxic particles present in polluted air, the Particulate Matter particles are known to be the most hazardous. To combat the issue, Carbon Craft Design, a Mumbai based design and material innovation start-up, has launched a very unique innovation in collaboration with Air-Ink, a Boston based company that processes the air pollutants and provides them with the soot that can be used in their innovation.
Made with air pollutants
Carbon Craft Design has come up with a unique technique that captures air pollutants (carbon) from the environment before incorporating them within its creatively designed tiles. These tiles are called Carbon tiles that work by lessening carbon emissions through building materials. Every carbon tile is equivalent to cleaning 30,000 litres of air which is equivalent to a day of fresh air for a person.
The process of creating a carbon tile goes through cutting, shaping, joining, and filling the mould before finally forming the tile. The pollution which is captured is processed to get rid of all the harmful heavy metal impurities and fused with a mixture of cement and other natural materials such as marble derivatives.
Change for good
Speaking of the innovation, Tejas Sidnal, the founder of Carbon Craft Design, has stated that their innovation is relevant in the field as it is the first step towards bringing an alternative solution in the construction industry that makes up for 25 to 40 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions. He also added they are working to collaborate with businesses where they will be able to avail black carbon residue at scale, and set up manufacturing plants within their premises to do away with transportation, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Sidnal also revealed that their long-term goal is to make affordable, accessible carbon offsetting solutions that will help fight climate change.
Carbon tiles - How much do they cost?
The carbon tiles are handcrafted products that cost around ₹190 per square of the tile used. On the other hand, vitrified tiles can take up five times more energy for production and cost anywhere around ₹50 and can go all the way up to ₹1000 per square feet.
People who are looking to buy the carbon tile also have an option to get it customised according to their design requirements. However, this comes at an extra cost as they are required to pay around ₹5000 to ₹15,000 for the stencil that needs to be made specifically for such customisations. A customer can avoid paying the extra cost if they choose to go for the 15 designs that the startup also has in its portfolio.
Updated 14:05 IST, May 4th 2020