CArrelè : ecological eggshell tiles

A holistic approach to design chosen by Elaine Yan Ling Ng, in collaboration with the Swiss company Nature Squared, to create tiles from an absolutely unusual element: egg shells.

Egg shells discarded by kitchens without our knowledge have enormous potential, just think that 250 thousand tons of egg shells are discarded a year, a great waste if it were not that someone has thought about how to make egg shells matter. production for home design.

“Most people see the eggshell as waste, but for me it is an infinite playground and an unlimited resource,” explains Elaine Yan Ling Ng.

With the aim of always having a circular economy, Elaine and Nature Squared have created a design line from the scraps of the shells, revolutionizing the way of thinking about the material to create absolutely green-oriented tiles, which will apparently look like tiles in wood.

An increasingly eco-sustainable design, with the aim of making the construction sector less polluting, the egg shells are recovered from waste and crushed into different sizes, they are then polymerized at room temperature, cooked and cut into tiles. The final result is an effect that reproduces that of wood in different colors.

The tiles were designed for the walls, but they can also become flooring. Eggshell designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng also creates accessories, stools, trays and candle holders.

The name of the CArrelè collection derives from the French noun “carreller”, which means flooring and “carré” the chemical symbol of calcium carbonate, an element rich in egg shells.

"We tend to associate egg shells with fragility, but they are actually very strong and naturally resistant to UV rays," says Ng. “They also absorb natural colors in fascinating ways, making them a wonderful building material. We use natural dyes, such as indigo, madder and chlorophyllin. "

“A lot of my work starts with exploring the material and then thinking about how it could be applied in different ways to push the boundaries of design,” explains Elaine Yan Ling Ng.

The Anglo-Chinese designer graduated from Saint Martin in London creates integrative objects, kinetic installations, but has now developed a focus on eco-sustainability and takes inspiration from nature by experimenting with new materials, textures and production methods.

We are happy that designers like Elaine and Nature Squared, a Swiss company whose project is the sustainability of the richness of nature, have offered us a new turning point for the production of tiles thinking about the ecology of our environment.