How do you think tiles are made? Usually, they’re placed in a kiln and fired at a very high temperature for a long time to harden them. But Tagawa Shikkui Labs’ “Limix” tiles aren’t fired. “Wait, if they aren’t fired, how do they harden?”—that’s what you’re probably thinking. Actually, this fact that they aren’t fired has enormous significance for the planet.
The way Limix is made is a little unusual. First, the raw materials are compressed with an immense force of 4,000 metric tons. Then, carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed into the material. That’s when it finally hardens. Instead of firing in a kiln, it’s hardened by “compressing and absorbing.” This shift in approach yields two major benefits.
First, it drastically reduces CO2 emissions. Conventional tiles are fired, which inevitably releases a significant amount of CO2. But since Limix isn’t fired, it reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 80% compared to fired tiles when producing similar products. Just by “not firing” them, the difference is that significant. Isn’t that a bit surprising?
Second, it allows us to transform materials that would otherwise be discarded into tiles. Limix can be molded even if up to half (50%) of its composition is replaced with other materials. For example, scrap from solar panels that have reached the end of their useful life, or the plaster molds used to make Arita-yaki porcelain plates.We can incorporate materials that were previously deemed “unusable” and transform them into new tiles.
That’s why Tagawa Shikkui Labs believes it can serve as a hub for upcycling—collecting “waste” from various industries and transforming it into something valuable. Choosing not to fire the tiles reduces CO2 emissions and turns trash into treasure. Just by slightly changing the manufacturing process, the possibilities expand this much.
