Every year, the fishing industry produces millions of tons of waste that ends up in landfills or, worse, in the oceans. But creative recycling is changing the rules of the game: a young designer has found a way to transform oyster shells and fish bones into something extraordinary. How? Let's see.
Please note: Construction waste represents one of the most serious risks to the environment, especially when disposed of in untreated landfills or in the oceans.
Creative recycling, from garbage to sustainability
The designer Yingfei Zhuo He developed EcoShell, a sustainable building material that has already won the prestigious Red Dot Award1. Its innovation transforms marine waste into elegant outdoor tiles, combining oyster shell powder with a natural binder extracted from fish bones.
The blend of these two materials ensures that the tiles are durable and can last a long time.
The result? A completely biodegradable material that promises to revolutionize coastal construction. The tiles, while resembling concrete, are significantly lighter and boast natural resistance to salt corrosion.
Practical and sustainable innovation
One of the most attractive features of EcoShell is its user-friendly installation system, which eliminates the need for nails or other fastening materials. The versatility of the product also extends to its aesthetics: texture and color can be customized to perfectly match the host structure.
This innovative solution does not just solve an environmental problem, but creates a virtuous cycle: waste from the fishing industry is transformed into building materials ideal for coastal areas where this waste is generated.
The ability to resist salt corrosion makes EcoShell particularly suitable for coastal structures, offering superior durability compared to traditional building materials. It is a perfect example of how creative recycling can generate innovative solutions which benefit both the environment and the construction industry.
- Il Red Dot Design Award It is one of the most important international awards in the field of design, established in 1955 to recognize excellence in the quality of designers and manufacturers in various categories, including product design, communication design and design concept. ↩︎