A Sheffield start-up has unveiled eco-friendly bricks that absorb and permanently store greenhouse gases.
Earth4Earth, a materials developer based at Sheffield Technology Parks, says its bricks capture carbon dioxide from the air and are produced using methods that avoid generating it.
The first batch is already being trialled in pilot projects across Sheffield.
Co-founder Theodore Hanein 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.”
Support manager Anna Simmons explained that the bricks are made from soil excavated at construction sites – material that would otherwise be sent to landfill. This soil is combined with a new type of binder, designed to give the bricks extra strength.
Unlike traditional binders, which require limestone to be heated to around 1,000°C to create lime – a process that both consumes fossil fuels and emits large amounts of CO₂ – Earth4Earth has developed a method of producing lime at room temperature. This technique releases carbon in solid form rather than as a gas.
Simmons added that the bricks are “fully recyclable”. Once crushed, they can be remade into new bricks or even used as fertiliser.
Currently, the bricks are manufactured in Wuhan, China, and shipped to the UK. However, the company plans to move production closer to home next year to cut its carbon footprint further.
John Grant, senior lecturer in climate change and sustainability at Sheffield Hallam University, stressed the importance of innovation in construction. “The industry consumes more resources and produces more waste than any other,” he said. Traditional materials such as bricks and concrete are having a “huge” impact on the environment.
He welcomed the idea of a low-carbon alternative but said Earth4Earth would need to demonstrate the strength and durability of its product. “A vast number of different technologies will be needed if we are to offset the industry’s pollution,” he added.
“We have created a society based around the emission of carbon but we need to pivot on that to something that doesn’t,” he said.
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