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Frequently Asked Questions
CornWall®
Yes, the entire product, including the pigments, is Red List Free.
CornWall® is available for delivery in Europe and the United States.
You can download the sustainability statement of CornWall® via the download centre.
An official EPD will be published in 2024 as soon as the production is scaled up.
CornWall® can be disassembled and reused. If the product is damaged or not reused, it can be returned. The product will go through the shredder, and the raw materials will be 100% reused.
The technical documentation of CornWall® can be downloaded from the download centre.
No, the material is not specifically developed for this application.
CornWall® has a slight natural variation, similar to the colour differences expected when ordering wood veneer or marble.
The minimum order size for CornWall® is 50 m2 in Europe and 500 m2 in the United States.
We currently recommend using CornWall® only in dry spaces. Tests are being conducted to determine the material’s suitability for semi-wet spaces such as sink backsplashes, kitchens, and bars.
Once we have more information, we will update our website.
No, this isn’t currently adviced.
No, currently, CornWall® is only applicable as vertical wall finishing for interiors.
CornWall® always has one side coated. Only this side can be used as the visible side.
Yes, CornWall® lends itself to custom design, including colour, texture, and size. The maximum size we can currently produce is 60 cm x 60 cm. Custom projects start from 1000 m2.
This depends on the order. Contact us for a current estimate.
CornWall® is produced by Circular Matters in Belgium. They collaborate with a sheltered workshop for the manufacturing of the product.
CornWall® is packaged in boxes on Euro pallets.
The material price of CornWall® is comparable to the price of a high-quality ceramic tile. However, the processing and end-of-life costs are much lower.
Request a quote for the exact price.
CornWall® can be processed with various universal systems, such as Torx screws or a fast-mount system.
Check the installation guidelines in the download centre.
CornWall® is thin and lightweight. The tiles are typically 4 mm thick with a size of 60 cm x 60 cm. This offers various advantages, including a significant reduction in emissions during transport. Approximately 150 m2 of CornWall® fits on a pallet.
Download the technical specification in the download centre for the exact weight.
Based on in-house tests, CornWall® has an estimated fire class of B-S1-D0. Official tests leading to certification are currently being conducted and are expected to be completed in Q2 2024.
Corn is the most cultivated crop on Earth. Much of the corn is used as a basis for animal feed, with a smaller portion designated for human consumption.
In this latter case, the corn is separated from the cob. The cob contains no nutrients and is not edible. Typically, this byproduct goes to biomass combustion facilities. Through combustion, the stored CO2 is released.
In other cases, the material remains in the field. Here, the cob is decomposed by nature, releasing CO2 as well.
By using this material as a raw material, the CO2 is stored in CornWall® for an extended period. This makes this stream a perfect alternative to scarce raw materials.
There is a difference between organic and biodegradable. The coating of CornWall® is organic. The pigments are not organic but are biodegradable. Cornwall is biodegradable product. This means that in case the Cornwall cannot be reused or recycled (which should always be the aim), it can be naturally broken down, leaving no trace. Don’t throw away the CornWall elements yourself (because your local composting installation won’t know which product this is), but get in touch with us to we can arrange the most sustainable end-of-live scenario.
CornWall® obtains its colour by adding biodegradable pigments. Depending on the colour, a maximum of 0.5% of pigments is added. The pigment is introduced into the mixture before CornWall® is pressed. This means that the colour is consistent throughout.
CornWall® is primarily composed of the cores of corn cobs left behind after the corn kernels have been removed. Additionally, CornWall® includes biomass from, among other sources, bio-ethanol production.
To add colour, a small amount of biodegradable pigments is introduced, and to enhance water repellency, a thin layer of biobased coating is applied.
A material can be made primarily from organic components (biobased), but that doesn’t automatically mean the product is also biodegradable. Conversely, a material can be synthetic but still biodegradable.
Biobased materials have a double advantage: they sequester atmospheric CO2 (originally released through the burning of fossil sources) for decades and reduce the amount of fossil carbon pumped up to produce conventional materials.
In general, the term “biobased” indicates that a product contains bio-based components. It is always important to enquire with a supplier about the precise amount of bio-based components, as sometimes blending just 5% biomass is sufficient to label a product as “biobased.”
The CornWall® is made from more than 99% biomass, and upon request (depending on colour), it is available as 100% biobased.
The product has an organic content of less than 1% and is therefore classified as class A1 in accordance with EN 13501-1 and Delegated regulation 2016/364, EN 13501-1
BioBasedTiles® have been added to the SundaHus Material Data system with an A-rating. SundaHus Material Data is the market leader for environmentally conscious material choices in the construction and property markets in Sweden.
To read more about the specific assessment criteria, please download this document by SundaHus Material Data.
BioBasedTiles® are also listed in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s Building Materials Database.
The Building Materials Database, shared with all Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), is used by building producers to find products that are accepted by Nordic Ecolabelling. Read more.
Due to the nature of the material and the production process, ceramic brick is subject to dimensional tolerances and a certain range.
In the case of WasteBasedBricks®, this is specified as T1/Rm (15-10-10) (Tolerance / Range). In the case of T1/Rm, the deviation on the average size can be no more or less than 6*4*3mm (l*w*h) and the difference between the smallest and the largest bricks can be no more than 15*10*10 (l*w*h).
Dimensional tolerance (T1, T2 or Tm)
In practice, the designer often bases the dimensions on the average theoretical dimensions of a standard masonry brick format. However, the dimensions used by an individual manufacturer can greatly differ from this. Each manufacturer can give its interpretation of the average size of a standard format and the associated dimensional tolerances (T). So standard dimensions do not exist in masonry bricks. This deviation is defined in the classes T1, T2 or Tm.
The starting points are the length, width and height as stated on the CE specification of the brick. The average size of the bricks must fall within the specified tolerances.
Measure spread (R1, R2 or Rm)
After determining the average sizes, the size spread can be calculated. The size difference between the smallest and largest brick in a batch (ten bricks are randomly drawn from a batch) must not exceed the specified size range.
StoneCycling’s WasteBasedBricks are all delivered within the T1/Rm standard. The dimensions of bricks and brick slips are the result of the average dimensions of the chosen brick and the dimensions of the joint. In the case of a tile or herringbone bond or a joint smaller than 10 mm, you want to consider the effects of the tolerances on the design.
The BioBasedTile, both the Honed and the Polished texture, have an R12 rating with a PTV and SRV rating beyond 50. These products are suitable for wet commercial areas such as swimming pools, showers and kitchens. With the BioBasedTile there is a low risk of slipping.
StoneCycling is not responsible for sealant selection or sealant application instructions. Please test the desired sealer before full application to ensure proper results. Follow all manufacturer instructions for application and re-application.
Download a list of approved sealants, including Biomason testing results and environmental information from our website.
Please note that the recommendations in this document are based on Biomason’s internal testing of the listed categories, and are ranked subjectively based on our findings. This is not meant to be a fully comprehensive list of all possible sealants; it is a list of sealants that we have tested.
Biomason makes no claim over which sealant is “best” for your desired application.
The datasheet / NEN specification we publish on our website is an indication of the technical specs of a certain brick type and is based on previously produced products. The document gives you an indication on the water absorption percentage and compressive strength of previous batches of the same brick type.
For your specific project, the technical specifications of the actual production will be separately tested and confirmed. We advice not to use this datasheet / NEN specification for technical decisions such as a mortar advice.
You can download our sustainability document from our Download Centre.
You can find all product information, processing guidelines and a technical datasheets of specific products in our Download Centre.
The WasteBasedBrick® is a building material that includes waste from construction, demolition and the industry. It is an intrinsic property of the WasteBasedBrick® that, due to the nature of the used materials and means of production, the products contain a certain colour variation.
Samples of products you’ve received before placing the order are type samples and give an indication of the colour and texture. The actual aesthetical properties of the WasteBasedBricks® will be confirmed with a production sample after placing the order.
Right now, the production of BioBasedTiles doesn’t allow for custom shapes. Efforts are focused on the serial production of tiles in different sizes. Visit the product pages of the Salt and Pepper BioBasedTiles to find out which shapes and sizes are available.
The short answer is no. Not yet.
The factory that will produce the BioBasedTile on a large scale is located in Denmark. The Biomason EPD team is working closely together with the engineers in Denmark to calculate the environmental profile of the actual product made over here.
To prevent the circulation of multiple EPDs of the BioBasedTiles, we will be waiting for the new publication which represents the commercial product we are selling.
The primary component of traditional concrete is Portland cement. Portland cement is manufactured from crushed limestone (calcium carbonate). There are two main stages in the manufacturing of portland cement.
The first stage, calcination, requires heating limestone to temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius (~1,500 F), resulting in calcium oxide and carbon dioxide gas.
The second stage, clinker formation, combines calcium oxide with silicates at furnace temperatures greater than 1,300 degrees Celsius (~2,400 F).
Manufacturing 1 KG of Portland cement releases approximately 1 KG of carbon dioxide into the environment. Half of this comes from the calcination of the limestone, and the other half from the combustion of fossil fuels necessary to achieve the required kiln temperatures. Additional atmospheric byproducts of portland cement production include dioxin, NOx, SO₂, and particulates.
The final material consists of approximately 85% natural aggregate, and 15% biologically grown limestone.
Instead of Portland cement, we use Biocement® to bind loose sand and rock. Portland cement is a calcium-silicate hydrate material that originally comes from liberating carbon from limestone through intensive heating, emitting carbon dioxide as a byproduct.
Biocement® is a reversal of this process, where carbon and calcium are combined to produce a biologically formed limestone material. This means that high heat and fossil fuels are not required in the process, and BioBasedTiles use carbon as a building block, just like nature!
Naturally occurring bacteria are used to produce BioBasedTiles, a non-modified bacteria described as a wild-type strain. The non-pathogenic strain was isolated from a species commonly found in global natural environments.
These bacteria typically create cemented materials over hundreds or thousands of years, but the Biocement® process enables them to do the same work in days.
Bacteria are everywhere in the world around us. Generally speaking, they need two things to survive: nutrients and moisture. BioBasedTiles do retain trace bacteria from the growth process. However, these exist in a dormant state and require conditions beyond those commonly found in the built environment to become active.
The size of the BioBasedTiles does not change from the time it is formed in production. During production, they increase in density. The “growing” happens as biologically produced calcium carbonate forms bridges between the aggregate grains, strengthening the unit from within. BioBasedTiles do not warp during production.
It takes less than 72 hours for our BioBasedTiles to reach full cure strength, and this is continuously improving through Biomason’s rapid research and development. As a note—traditional concrete can take up to 28 days to cure!
Currently, we offer BioBasedTiles in different colours, sizes and finishes that can be applied as flooring, wall cladding and facades. Visit our products page to find out more.
No. Throughout the years, our partner Biomason® developed their Biocement® that we use for the BioBasedTiles. The process relies on bacteria for the growth of cement rather than burning fuels for calcination resulting in a lighter, stronger, and thinner material.
No, we don’t take on any design projects right now. We do clad counters with our materials if it is part of a larger interior project.
If you design an object built from bricks and it exceeds our minimum order quantity of 200 m² for interior projects within Europe (including the United Kingdom) or 1000 m² in the United States or Middle-East, we can talk through your design idea.
In that case, you might want to contact our sales team.
Yes, our products can be combined with insulation panels made for ceramic brick slips. Contact our sales team for references.
We deliver our products to Europe (including the United Kingdom) and North America.
Deliveries to Asia, South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand don’t fit our current sustainable approach. We want to work with regional waste streams on all continents in the future, so stay tuned for the latest updates!
In principle, we do not use any pigments. However, we aim to compose the recipes of the WasteBasedBricks® in such a way that it leads to an attractive product. Pigments could be added to manipulate certain colours. The firing curve of the products also has a significant effect on the colour. We aim to primarily use pigments from waste.
Building from waste is still a relatively new concept. Much of the waste that we create in construction (even when recycled) is now used for lower quality purposes, such as road fill, or not used at all.
Local production, close to the waste streams is the way to go. But for that to happen, we need to get more projects in, for example, the United States coming our way. In our growth vision, we focus on production with partners in various regions across the world.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products in a credible way.
At StoneCycling, we now have a preliminary EPD of our products available on request. You can download the EPD in our download centre.
We deliver our products under the general terms and conditions of the Royal Association of Dutch Brick Manufacturers (‘Vereniging Koninklijke Nederlandse Bouwkeramiek‘ – KNB). This involves a 10-year warranty on frost resistance. This is in line with most producers of ceramic materials in the Netherlands.
All our products go through the standard market tests for bricks and are safe to use according to European standards.
This is true indeed. Wood is a great material for building. However, it does require more maintenance than bricks. Our products are fired on forest-compensated gas. This means that the CO2 footprint during production is compensated by planting trees. It is not the perfect solution yet and fundamental solutions will have to be found in alternative fuels such as H₂.
Our products have the properties to last more than 100 years. Unfortunately, most buildings these days are being demolished much sooner than that. The good news is that WasteBasedBricks® can be recycled and used as ingredients for new WasteBasedBricks®.
This depends on the calculation method you use. In preliminary research from an external agency, a 25% reduction in environmental cost indicators was reported with fully scaled-up production. In general, the WasteBasedBrick®, in line with other bricks, is sustainable because of its longevity (70+ years).
With the WasteBasedBrick®, we focus primarily on waste as a resource instead of digging up natural and limited resources. To decrease the CO2 footprint of the brick even further, we are testing more efficient firing curves.
We currently compensate for the footprint of the firing process by using forest-compensated gas from supplier Greenchoice. The next big step is switching from a gas-fired production process to an H2-fired production. Visit our news page to learn more about this latest development.
All our waste streams are tested on quality and consistency and comply with government regulations.
We are already able to make products from 100% waste. That said, the machines we are using aren’t currently able to process them. This will remain our focus for the coming years.
Our mission stands: creating building materials from 100% upcycled waste with a positive carbon impact on the planet.
We use demolition waste, industrial waste and by-products from several production and recycling processes.
It depends on the production location and products but in general, our waste comes from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and England.
We work with carefully selected partners and don’t have the ambition to expand the number of partners right now.
We are running a few pilot projects in the Netherlands to test the complete process of returning waste from a donor building to the project for the first time.
Depending on what we encounter in the process and the results of the final product, we will see if and how we will bring this further. Visit our project page to find out more.
Yes, we certainly do. Please request our Digital Sample Pack.
Yes, many! Feel free to use the images on our website (with the proper credits).
You can also download our press kit with loads of high-resolution images. Or reach out to our sales team. They are happy to help you create the best presentation of our products possible.
Yes, we organise monthly CPDs / lunch & learns that you can enrol in for free. Visit our events page to see when the next CPD is.
For larger organisations, we also offer tailor-made CPDs. Reach out to our sales team to find out more.
No, unfortunately not. We don’t have the time for this. Please visit our news page and press page. You can find a lot of information here.
At StoneCycling, we are always dedicated to finding talented, motivated people to join our team. For all current internship possibilities, please look at our career page and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated with any available positions.
No, unfortunately not. We only send sample materials to clients working on a specific project.
The global demand is very high, so we set priorities since sending samples is costly, time-consuming and not the best for our planet. You can always request a digital sample pack.
It depends on the type of technology or material. We specialise in aesthetic building materials that help us to fulfil our mission faster. Does your technology or material accelerate this? Then let’s talk further.
We collaborate in technical development, aesthetic development, commercialisation and investments. Get in touch.
We receive many requests for collaborations. We’ve made it a rule that we only set up new partnerships if there’s a commercial project involved where this new product will be used. Is that the case? Then please get in touch.
No. All sales are handled by our skilled account managers from Amsterdam. We organise annual roadshows to cities like London, New York, and Copenhagen. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out when we will be around.
This depends on your assortment, network and location. Reach out to our sales department with a short profile of your company.
Our office is not a showroom, and we share our office with other creative companies. Visiting our office is only possible by making an appointment with our sales team.
Not at the moment. Currently, we work mainly business-to-business and handle all sales ourselves. This way, we are certain you get all the complete information on time. We only produce our building materials on a project basis.
Read more about how our products are made.
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Circular systems create a close-loop system, minimizing the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.
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Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. Read more about how our products are made.
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Up-cycling is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, and useless or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value. Read more about how your products are made.
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To keep things cost-effective and environmentally friendly, we have the following minimum order quantities to start production:
Exterior Façades with WasteBasedBricks® or WasteBasedSlips®:
- > 500 m² for Europe (including the United Kingdom)
- > 1000 m² for the United States
- We don’t ship to other continents.
Interior design with WasteBasedSlips® or BioBasedTiles®:
- > 200 m² for Europe (includes the United Kingdom)
- > 1000 m² for the United States and the Middle East
- We don’t ship to other continents.
For all European and international projects using our Custom Made Service, there is a minimum order quantity of 1000 m².
Our WasteBasedBricks® are produced per project according to traditional production methods and with attention to quality and aesthetics. Because we look for the best solution for each project with the client, a set price isn’t possible. All prices depend on the product type, shape, size and quantity of your order.
In general, the price of our WasteBasedBrick® starts at € 120,- per m². The cost of our WastedbasedSlips® begin at € 70 per m² and for the BioBasedTile®, prices begin at € 65 per m². These indications are exclusive of VAT + transport.
This depends on what product you compare them with. In general, the WasteBasedBricks® are priced in the higher range of bricks. But in terms of quality and aesthetics, they score high as well!
Our experience is that when a client is looking for a facade with standard brick masonry, we are 2-4 times more expensive, based on standard Dutch brick sizes.
However, in the segment of non-standard sizes, colours and textures (for example, long formats, moulded bricks, and thick formats), we can compete with suppliers of conventional products. We specialize in this segment.
Our products are successfully applied in projects focusing on sustainability and design with a matching budget.
This depends on the type of product you are looking for. Based on the information communicated in the sample request form, we’ll prepare a brick proposal for you, send samples, get into the specifics of your project and confirm the order, start production, and deliver on-site.
During and after the construction of your project, we’ll connect a few times to see how things are going. Get in touch with questions you might still have, or read more about the process of our custom-made service.
This depends on the product you choose and the quantity of the order. In general, delivery takes 26+ weeks. This can go up to a year for projects exceeding 1000 m².
Contact our sales team to find out what the lead time on your project will be.
It’s always a challenge to capture the tactility and colour of products in photos, especially when made under different light circumstances. That can be one of the reasons the products look different online.
Another reason is that we constantly optimise our product recipes and production methods. This will lead to different colours and sometimes textures over time. That is why we recommend requesting a new sample on the products page.
This depends on where you are located and the type of factory you have. Please give us a call, and let’s explore what we can do together.
Not yet, unfortunately. At the moment we only work with larger, very specific and well-separated quantities of waste.
There are no results for your question (yet), we’ll look into it and have the answer here soon!