Resource or waste?

Waste as a resource? It’s not a new concept, in fact in many countries, waste is often seen as a resource that can be upcycled. Coming from a culture of such origins, Professor Veena Sahajwalla (UNSW) used this concept when looking at waste management here in Australia to trial what we now know as the ‘Green Ceramic’.

Made up of repurposed glass and textiles the ceramic is being manufactured in a micro-factory in Cootamundra NSW and is expected to scale to commercial capacity. The work being done at UNSW to make sure waste becomes an asset, is dynamic and innovative. TRA humbly plays our part as the exclusive supplier of the textile waste for the Green Ceramic. As part of our pledge to keep textiles out of landfill, TRA has partnered with UNSW and other universities on research and development where fabrics of all types of composition can be used in second and third life cycles.

As Australia disposes of over 6,000 kilograms of textiles every ten minutes the need for a variety of solutions is obvious. Building company Mirvac has installed the green ceramic as a splashback and other surfaces such as flooring and benchtops in an apartment at Sydney Olympic Park. The tiles have also been tested for commercial slip, fire and acoustics. The ceramic can take on a variety of aesthetics simply through the textiles that are added to the mixture. The floor tile looks like terrazzo and the kitchen bench like marble.

Although in its infancy the Green Ceramic proves by redesigning, building and interior materials can be made of sustainable ingredients. What’s more, producing locally keeps the new product’s carbon footprint down.

Made of recycled materials, a low footprint and local jobs, how can this ceramic be anything but resourceful?