Watch: Smog to Tiles? Mumbai Startup Re-purposes 30,000 Litres of Polluted Air

India has been recording an increase in PM 2.5 pollution since 2010. According to the World Air Quality Report, 14 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities are located in India with the building and infrastructure industry contributing 39 per cent of the total energy-related carbon emissions. With the intention of creating a commercial solution to curb carbon emission, Tejas Sidnal started Carbon Craft Design, a Mumbai based startup that is turning polluted air into carbon tiles.

Tejas was inspired by a company, Air Ink, that turns soot into ink, and began exploring how pollution can be converted into building materials. In May 2019, Carbon Craft Design launched its first carbon tile production. The manufacturing of the carbon tiles is a three-step process. First, carbon is collected from tire pyrolysis based factories, which is then processed at a facility and finally converted into tiles at a manufacturing unit located in Morbi, Gujarat. The entire process of making these tiles consumes one-fifth of the energy required to make vitrified tiles and reduces air pollution by 30,000 litres of carbon for each tile made.

“When we realised that 39 per cent of energy-related carbon emissions are due to the building and infrastructure industry, it made sense to look at air pollution as a larger issue,” Tejas says.

Apart from having a zero-waste manufacturing process Carbon Craft Design provides employment to local artisans by incorporating traditional techniques into the manufacturing process.

Watch this video to know more about how Carbon Craft Design is reducing air pollution.

Found Value in This Story?Pay What You Can to Support Impactful Journalism

If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.

Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-

₹201
₹501
₹1001

By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.

Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?