While traditional ceramics require kilns at a thousand degrees and high energy consumption, a British startup transforms discarded plaster into tiles at 35 degrees and closes a pilot with a historic manufacturer in the United Kingdom.

Written by Flavia Marinho

Published on 01/06/2026 at 19:41

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British technology creates sustainable tiles with recycled gypsum and plant-based binders, drastically reducing energy consumption, reusing construction waste, and attracting the attention of Johnson Tiles, a traditional ceramics manufacturer in the UK

The tile that looks like ceramic but does not require extreme heat is an innovation by Dekiln, a British startup specializing in sustainable construction solutions. The material is made from discarded gypsum, also known as plasterboard, combined with plant-based binders, and cures at just 35 degrees, far below the thousand-degree kilns used in traditional ceramics.

Low-temperature production reduces energy consumption by more than 90 percent and allows for the use of waste that would otherwise be discarded. The company has already started a pilot with Johnson Tiles, a historic ceramics manufacturer in the UK, testing the feasibility of commercial-scale production without compromising the appearance or durability of the tiles.

The development offers more economical and sustainable alternatives, with the potential to transform the interior coatings industry, reducing costs and environmental impacts.

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Why traditional tiles need giant kilns

Conventional ceramic production requires kilns that reach thousand degrees to harden the clay, fix pigments, and ensure resistance. This process consumes enormous amounts of energy, increasing costs and emissions of polluting gases.

Part of the Johnson Tiles factory in Stoke-on-Trent (Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian)

The intense heat eliminates moisture, burns organic materials, and consolidates the tile structure. The uniformity of the temperature also prevents cracks and defects that compromise durability. Therefore, finding low-energy consumption alternatives is crucial for the industry.

How discarded gypsum becomes coating

Construction and renovation gypsum is crushed and turned into powder. Combined with vegetable binders, the powder can be molded into tiles that cure at just 35 degrees, preserving the strength and appearance of ceramic.

This low temperature allows for reduced energy consumption, prevents deformations, and maintains stable physical properties. The result is an internal coating with an appearance similar to traditional ceramic, ready for wall application.

O gesso de construções e reformas é triturado e transformado em pó. — Construction and renovation gypsum is crushed and turned into powder.

What changes for the ceramic industry

The innovation represents economic and environmental advancement. Reducing energy means lower production costs and less environmental impact, while reusing gypsum decreases the amount of waste in landfills.

revestimento interno com estética semelhante à cerâmica tradicional — Internal coating with an appearance similar to traditional ceramic

Dekiln, a British startup, has already closed a pilot with Johnson Tiles, a historic ceramic manufacturer in the UK, to assess commercial production. The project demonstrates that it is possible to maintain aesthetic quality and strength while adopting more sustainable practices.

Limits and current application

For now, tiles made with recycled gypsum are recommended only for internal wall use. Floors and outdoor areas have not yet been tested due to resistance in humid conditions and intense wear.

Certifications and durability tests are necessary before expanding production, but initial results indicate a viable and ecological alternative for residential and commercial coatings.

Impact on consumers and constructions

For those seeking greener construction solutions, the technology offers energy savings, waste reuse, and reduced environmental impacts. Additionally, the aesthetics and strength remain close to traditional ceramic, without compromising the internal finish.

The trend is that such alternatives encourage the global industry to explore recyclable materials and less aggressive production methods for the environment, making constructions more sustainable.

Do you think the production of sustainable tiles can become standard in constructions in Brazil in the coming years?

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While traditional ceramics require kilns at a thousand degrees and high energy consumption, a British startup transforms discarded plaster into tiles at 35 degrees and closes a pilot with a historic manufacturer in the United Kingdom.

British technology creates sustainable tiles with recycled gypsum and plant-based binders, drastically reducing energy consumption, reusing construction waste, and attracting the attention of Johnson Tiles, a traditional ceramics manufacturer in the UK

Why traditional tiles need giant kilns

How discarded gypsum becomes coating

What changes for the ceramic industry

Limits and current application

Impact on consumers and constructions

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While traditional ceramics require kilns at a thousand degrees and high energy consumption, a British startup transforms discarded plaster into tiles at 35 degrees and closes a pilot with a historic manufacturer in the United Kingdom.

British technology creates sustainable tiles with recycled gypsum and plant-based binders, drastically reducing energy consumption, reusing construction waste, and attracting the attention of Johnson Tiles, a traditional ceramics manufacturer in the UK

Why traditional tiles need giant kilns

How discarded gypsum becomes coating

What changes for the ceramic industry

Limits and current application

Impact on consumers and constructions

In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

They planted a sea of eucalyptus to produce cellulose, but the monoculture turned into a green desert, dried up springs and rivers, and pushed families out of regions in Minas Gerais and Bahia.

Júlia Pimentel, an 11-year-old from Minas Gerais, independently invented a new formula to calculate the square root using simple addition and multiplication, and her method was published in one of the most important mathematical scientific journals in Brazil.

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