The K-Briq: The World's First 90% Recycled Brick

A sustainable brick for a sustainable future

Constructing and operating buildings and infrastructure is one of the biggest contributors to the UK's carbon emissions and produces around 60% of the UK's waste.

This highlights the industry’s need to find new, more sustainable ways to build to achieve the goal of net zero carbon by 2045.

Along with the developmental support of BE-ST, Heriot-Watt University & Hamilton Waste and Recycling, Kenoteq have produced a brick that reuses waste materials from the built environment: the K-briq^®.

This is a game changer for the construction sector giving a real low carbon alternative to traditional facing brick.

Made from 90% recycled building materials for 1/10 of the emissions

The K-briq^® is made from 90% reused materials such as brick, stone and plasterboard. There is no equivalent to this on the market.

The brick itself is unfired and uses no cement, creating 1/10th of the emissions of a traditional fired brick. The brick is stronger, more durable and lighter than standard bricks as well as being cheaper to make.

It also can be manufactured in a range of colours giving it a versatility that standard bricks don’t have.

10+ years in development, 3+ awards and featured on the One Show

The K-briq^®’s next step is scaling up production and mainstreaming its use. On the back of BE-ST’s support, Kenoteq won nearly £1million of funding in May 2021 from the Circular Economy Investment Fund, administered by Zero Waste Scotland and funded through Scottish Government and the European Regional Investment Fund. The first commercial production facility is under commission in East Lothian to deliver certified bricks by the end of 2022. With over 2 billion bricks produced in the UK, the opportunity is significant to set up further production facilities across the country and internationally, close to the waste source to reduce carbon emissions.

K-briq at COP26

A new feature wall was built using the K-briq^® in the BE-ST Innovation Factory for COP26 and demonstrating the new BE-ST branding.

The world’s first over 90% recycled brick, the K-briq^® is stronger and more durable than a traditional brick. An unfired facing brick, it also uses 90% less energy in its production, and has 10% of the carbon footprint of a traditional brick. A wall of Kenoteq’s K-briq^® is now on full display to see it in use, showing a traditional, familiar pattern of the futuristic product. It is available in 10 standard colours, in light and dark variations, and, using recycled pigments, bespoke colour development and colour matching services are also offered.

The innovation was conceived by Gabriela Medero during her time as a professor at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) in response to her growing concerns about the environmental impact of traditional building materials and methods.

Support

Total Project Value: £469k

CSIC Contribution: £214k

Duration

Sep 2017 - Jul 2021

Partners

Kenoteq
Heriot Watt University
Hamilton Waste and Recycling
BE-ST

Next steps

This project has laid solid foundations for the commercialisation of the K-briq^®. Going forward partners are focusing on upscaling its production and mainstreaming its use. BE-ST is also exploring uses for the K-Briq^® in our own Innovation Factory – leading by example that this is not only a sustainable material but one that is lighter, stronger and still cost efficient. A new feature wall was built using the K-briq^®in the BE-ST Innovation Factory for COP26 and demonstrating the new BE-ST branding.

The facing brick is currently being specified into a number of high profile public and commercial projects across the UK, as well as in housing and a variety of interior projects. The first buildings built with the sustainable low carbon K-briq^® should appear from 2023 onwards.

Kenoteq is also working on further sustainable construction materials to add to their product range.