Recycled plastic tiles that look like clay

Roof tiles made from post-consumer plastic are helping to reduce waste and energy consumption, while saving money on roofing materials

Spotted: Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to our roofs – unless they leak. But what if your roof could fight plastic pollution? This is an important consideration in Kenya where plastic waste remains a big problem. A Kenyan company called Eco Tiles hopes to change this with an environmentally friendly roofing material made from recycled plastic.

The company was founded by Kenyan environmental scientist Kevin Maina. He and his team work with 500 informal waste collectors who collect the plastics, and in return, are provided with a steady income.

The first step in creating the material is melting the plastics. Then, sand and chemicals are added to stabilise the plastic and prevent it from deteriorating when exposed to UV light. The molten material is then poured into a mould and pressed to form tiles. The finished tiles look like conventional clay or concrete roof tiles, but have a higher tensile strength and are much lighter. This translates into less timber needed for roof construction, and faster installation times.

At the minute, Eco Tiles can make around 1,500 tiles a day, and the startup has already produced almost half a million tiles, used in the construction of 300 homes. Company founder Maina has also been shortlisted for the 2024 Africa Prize, awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. As such, Eco Tiles will gain access to acceleration – including mentoring, training, business advice, and prize money of up to £25,000 (around €29,000).

Eco Tiles currently has a model house in the Netherlands, which was made in partnership with Dutch company Save Plastics. The wall panels and the roof are entirely made out of waste and Eco Tiles is observing the building’s performance. The company also plans to infuse solar cells into its tiles.

The idea of using post-consumer waste for building materials is catching on. Recent innovations include using waste to make plastic beams and blocks for sustainable housing and turning wool into sustainable insulation.

Written By: Lisa Magloff