Manchester-based startup Dekiln has partnered with Johnson Tiles to pilot a low-carbon tile manufacturing process in Stoke-on-Trent. The technology uses recycled plaster waste and plant-based binders, curing tiles at 35°C instead of firing them in kilns at up to 1,000°C, saving over 90% in energy costs.
Dekiln's tiles contain more than 95% recycled content and are waterproof for indoor wall use. Founder Aled Roberts, a biomaterials engineer, started experimenting with waste materials and chickpea juice binder in his cellar in 2021. The company now employs a team of four.
The pilot comes as the UK ceramics industry struggles with soaring energy costs. Government announced a £120m support package after several companies collapsed. Johnson Tiles, which ceased manufacturing in 2024, hopes to resume production at its former Stoke factory if the pilot succeeds.
Jason Bridges, procurement director at Johnson Tiles, said: 'Reinventing a former high-carbon intensity factory with this new low-carbon concept would be a fantastic new chapter.' Roberts noted the tiles offer better insulation and customisable pigments, but further work is needed for outdoor and floor applications.
Dekiln sources plaster waste from ceramics firms for free and is backed by Green Angel Ventures and Frontier IP, with a £3m award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. Roberts aims to license the technology and make tiles as cheap as conventional ones.
