Designer Tiles Made From Old Tyres? This Mumbai Architect Is Using Carbon Waste to Beautify Homes

Carbon Tiles are building tiles made partly from recovered black carbon, a pollutant linked to air pollution and climate change. Carbon Craft Design developed them to give carbon waste a useful destination while reducing the energy needed to make architectural materials.

The company blends cleaned carbon waste with cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips. Hydraulic presses compress the mixture into tiles with geometric patterns. The tiles then set at room temperature, rather than being fired in high-temperature kilns like conventional ceramic tiles.

This difference matters because the company says its process uses around one-fifth of the energy required for conventional fired tiles. Ceramic artisans in Morbi, Gujarat, handcraft the patterns, adding visual appeal. Carbon Tiles are already being used in commercial interiors, including Adidas showrooms, but their durability, safety and environmental benefits still need to be demonstrated at scale.

Carbon Craft Design begins with carbon waste recovered from industrial processes, including tyre recycling and factory pyrolysis. This waste would otherwise add to the pollution burden if released or left without a useful destination. The company processes it as a raw material for construction.

First, the recovered carbon is cleaned. It is then blended with cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips. Hydraulic presses compress this mixture into tiles, while ceramic artisans in Morbi, Gujarat, handcraft distinctive geometric patterns. Unlike conventional ceramic tiles, the mixture is allowed to set at room temperature.

The result is a durable building material that combines recovered waste, recycled mineral content and traditional craft. The process also avoids high-temperature kiln firing. Carbon Craft Design has supplied tiles for commercial spaces, including Adidas showrooms, although the article notes that durability, safety and environmental benefits must still be proven at scale.

Carbon Craft Design reports two headline environmental figures for its tiles. Manufacturing uses around one-fifth of the energy required to make conventional fired tiles. This reduction comes largely from avoiding the high-temperature kiln firing typically used for conventional ceramic tiles.

The company also states that every square metre of Carbon Tiles prevents the equivalent of 25 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. The tiles use recovered carbon waste, cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips. Hydraulic presses shape the mixture, which sets at room temperature instead of being fired.

These figures describe the startup’s own claims about its manufacturing process and emissions impact. They suggest that changing both the material inputs and production method can reduce the environmental burden of tiles. However, the article notes that Carbon Tiles must still demonstrate their durability, safety and environmental benefits at scale before their broader impact can be assessed.

Black carbon contributes to air pollution and climate change when it is released into the atmosphere. Recovering it from industrial processes can therefore redirect part of that waste into a useful building material. Carbon Craft Design aims to reduce the pollution burden rather than allowing the carbon to remain an environmental liability.

The recovered material is cleaned and mixed with cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips. Hydraulic presses form the mixture into tiles, which set at room temperature. This avoids the energy-intensive firing used for conventional ceramic tiles. According to the company, every square metre prevents the equivalent of 25 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

The approach does not solve the climate crisis by itself. Construction still produces emissions across supply chains, energy use and building lifecycles. Carbon Tiles offer a practical starting point, but their durability, safety and environmental benefits must be demonstrated at scale before their wider consequences are clear.

The article places building materials within a larger contradiction: construction contributes significantly to global carbon emissions, yet materials are rarely viewed through the lens of pollution. Producing and transporting materials requires energy, and the industry’s supply chains and building lifecycles add further emissions.

For tiles, the article identifies high-temperature kiln firing as a major energy demand. Conventional ceramic tiles typically need this firing, while Carbon Tiles are compressed and allowed to set at room temperature. Carbon Craft Design says its method uses around one-fifth of the energy required for conventional fired tiles. The tiles also blend recovered carbon with cement and recycled marble materials.

The article does not explain cement’s detailed emissions sources or provide a separate cement figure. It does stress that no single material can solve the climate crisis. Construction must address emissions across supply chains, energy use and building lifecycles, while new materials prove their safety, durability and benefits at scale.

A recycled material needs more than environmental value to succeed as a building product. It must be designed well, made reliably and accepted by people who specify, install or purchase it. Architects help connect material innovation with the needs of contemporary buildings and interiors.

Carbon Craft Design works with ceramic artisans in Morbi, Gujarat, a region known for tile-making. The artisans handcraft the tiles’ geometric patterns, combining traditional skills with material research and low-energy production. The startup has also created tile patterns for Adidas showrooms, showing how recycled materials can enter commercial spaces where appearance and durability matter.

Commercial customers provide real uses and market demand. Investors and climate-focused accelerators have supported the company, while design recognitions have raised its profile. Still, the article says Carbon Tiles must prove their durability, safety and environmental benefits at scale. Wider adoption will depend on that evidence and continued customer interest.

Black carbon is a carbon-rich pollutant formed by the incomplete combustion of fuels and other carbon-rich materials. Incomplete combustion means the material does not burn fully. The resulting carbon particles can enter the atmosphere instead of being contained or recovered.

Carbon Craft Design sources recovered black carbon from industrial processes, including tyre recycling and factory pyrolysis. The company cleans the material and blends it with cement, recycled marble powder and marble chips. Hydraulic presses then compress the mixture into architectural tiles, which set at room temperature.

The material matters because atmospheric black carbon contributes to air pollution and climate change. Recovering it gives the waste a different destination: a durable building product. The article presents this as one part of a broader response, not a complete climate solution. Construction still needs to address emissions across its supply chains, energy use and building lifecycles.