Newtab-22 has developed Sea Stone, a sustainable material created from waste seashells sourced from the seafood and aquaculture industries. This material, which resembles concrete, is produced by grinding down seashells that would otherwise be destined for landfill and combining them with natural, non-toxic binders. The resulting material has a terrazzo-like appearance.
According to Newtab-22, Sea Stone has the potential to serve as a sustainable alternative to concrete for small-scale products, given that the two materials share similar properties. This similarity is due to the high calcium carbonate content in seashells, also known as limestone, which is a key component in cement—a primary ingredient in concrete.
The creation of Sea Stone was driven by Newtab-22’s goal to address the substantial waste produced by the seafood industry, which discards approximately seven million tonnes of seashells annually. Most of this waste ends up in landfills or is dumped on beaches.
While some seashells have been recycled and used as fertilizers, the majority are disposed of in landfills or by the seaside.
These discarded seashells, often uncleaned or decomposing, have not been adequately cleared and accumulate near beaches, causing odor pollution and contributing to long-term environmental degradation.
Sea Stone aims to utilize these discarded seashells to create an environmentally and economically sustainable material, thereby reducing the contribution to global waste.
The production process for Sea Stone involves grinding the seashells and mixing them with natural binders. These mixtures are then placed into molds and allowed to solidify into concrete-like forms. This process is conducted manually to minimize the use of heat, electricity, and chemical treatments, ensuring that the method remains as sustainable and cost-effective as possible.
As a result, the material exhibits variations un the size, texture, and color of the shell fragments, making each piece of Sea Stone unique. Different effects can also be achieved by adjusting the proportions of shells and binders or by adding colored dyes.
During the development of Sea Stone, Newtab-22 experimented with various natural binders, including sugar and agar. The material now relies on two undisclosed and patent-pending binders.
Sea Stone is currently being developed for commercial purposes and ha already been used to create products such as decorative tiles, tabletops, plinths, and vases.
However, it is not intended as a concrete alternative for large-scale or structural projects. Although Sea Stone shares some properties with concrete, replicating the strength required for large-scale applications, such as buildings, would necessitate an energy-intensive heating process.
This process would be comparable to the production of cement, which is responsible for half of the CO2 emissions associated with concrete use.
Newtab-22 acknowledges that while it is technically possible to use Sea Stone as a replacement for cement by applying high energy and cost, such an approach would be paradoxical and could lead to secondary pollution. Therefore, the focus remains on ensuring that the production and application of Sea Stone do not harm the environment.
Newtab-22’s interest in utilizing discarded materials began while its founders, Hyein Choi and Jihee Moon, were enrolled in the Design Products course at the Royal College of Art. The founders have since relocated to Seoul, South Korea, to continue developing the project, citing the significant issue of seafood waste in the country.
The relocation has allowed them to collect discarded seashells on much larger scale than would have been possible in the UK, particularly in southern South Korea, where the aquaculture and seafood industries generate substantial amounts of waste.
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