Brief
Discover the innovative ways in which discarded seashells can be used to create a sustainable future. Seashells are a major by-product of the global food industry, with close to eight million tonnes of waste produced each year. Rather than being sent to landfills or dumped at sea, seashells can be used to make bio-concrete tiles, architectural tiles,
Insight
Researchers and designers are exploring new ways to create materials and products from discarded seashells. Around eight million tonnes of waste seafood shells are generated every year by the global food industry. These shells are often dumped at sea or sent to landfills where they can modify soils, waters and marine ecosystems. Oyster shells consist of approximately 95% calcium carbonate and many designers are using them as a biomaterial alternative to mined calcium carbonate in the form of limestone. Seashells are also being used to make furniture, protective headgear and restaurant crockery, among other products. Here are four examples of projects made from seashells:
Bio-concrete tiles by Brigitte Kock and Irene Roca Moracia: Made from Japanese knotweed and shells from American signal crayfish, the knotweed acts as the ash binder while pulverised crayfish shells are used as the aggregate. Combined with water and gelatine, these ingredients form a strong homogenous material that cures and hardens without the need for added heat or synthetic coloring.
Architectural tiles by Bureau De Change: This London-based architecture studio uses Thames Glass, a biomaterial crafted by artist Lulu Harrison from mussel shells, to create a range of patterned tiles. Harrison made the bio-glass from the ground-up shells of quagga mussels, local sand and waste wood ash. Bureau de Change founders Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos made a series of cast glass facade tiles using the material.
TômTex by Uyen Tran: A Vietnamese designer, Uyen Tran, developed a flexible biomaterial from discarded seafood shells and coffee grounds called TômTex. When the material has reached the end of its life, it can either be recycled or left to biodegrade.
Shellmet by TBWA\Hakuhodo and Koushi Chemical Industry Co: This product was conceived as protective headgear for the fishing community in Japan’s Sarufutsu village where around 40,000 tons of scallop shells go to waste every year. Shellmet is fastened with a nylon chinstrap and shaped like an oversized, ridged seashell. Its structure is made from Shellstic, a material that combines scallop shells from the seafood industry with recycled plastic.
Seashells form the exoskeleton of crustaceans and mollusks and are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, which has similar properties to limestone – a common construction material. Using seashells as a biomaterial alternative is an excellent example of the circular economy. Rather than sending waste to landfill, waste materials are repurposed into new products, reducing the need for new raw materials, cutting energy use, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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