UK firm’s bricks turn waste soil into walls that breathe in carbon

UK-based sustainable materials company earth4Earth (e4E) has developed innovative bricks made from excavated soil and a unique lime-based binder that capture and permanently store atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Unlike traditional lime binders, which require high-temperature processing that emits CO₂, e4E’s binder is produced at room temperature and stores all CO₂ generated during manufacturing as stable carbonates, eliminating emissions. These bricks use Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to absorb CO₂ from the air, turning buildings constructed with them into carbon sinks while enhancing the bricks’ material properties. e4E offers a product line with varying binder content—N10, N20, and N30 bricks containing 10%, 20%, and 30% binder respectively—where higher binder percentages correspond to increased carbon absorption. The company has pilot projects underway in the UK and plans to begin local production next year, creating around 30 jobs. With a research center in Sheffield and a factory in Wuhan, China,