The Bio-Based Pigments Behind Formwork IO’s Carbon Negative Paving Block Our environmentally friendly construction goals necessitated pigments and dyes that were renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable and locally sourced. We experimented with a wide range of sustainable and carbon neutral pigments, before settling on our final palette. With the advent of interesting new bio-colourants, we narrowed our selection down to three exquisite pigments — green algae, coffee and indigo.  Choosing Sustainable and Natural Colours The toxicity of synthetic dyes has become a cause of grave concern to environmentalists. Construction products, which are often a complex mixture and contain additives, pigments, and stabilisation agents are often in contact with rain or seepage water during their lifetime and may release potentially harmful compounds by leaching. Studies demonstrate that compounds released by construction products are found in storm water and other bodies of water and that the release of biocides in urban areas can be comparable to the input of pesticides from agricultural uses. It’s undeniable — synthetic dyes have an adverse effect on all forms of life, and to ensure our carbon negative paving block didn’t have the same drawbacks as a product, we dove into research on the available bio-ethical and environmentally friendly alternatives.
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 | A Sustainable Palette: The Parameters Renewable: Spirulina is a renewable resource that can be cultivated in waste waters, making it a sustainable alternative to synthetic pigments. Additionally, spirulina cultivation can help purify the water by removing nutrients and pollutants. Local sourcing: Spirulina can be sourced locally or abroad, depending on availability. This can help reduce transportation costs and promote local production. High stability: Spirulina pigment has high stability and resistance to UV light and weathering, making it suitable for use in outdoor applications like bricks. |
| Coffee grounds are a natural and renewable resource that can be locally sourced, giving us the opportunity to work with local communities and support sustainable practices. Using coffee grounds as a pigment is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic pigments, helping reduce waste and promote sustainability. In addition to being environmentally friendly, coffee grounds are also cost-effective. As a byproduct of the coffee industry, they are readily available and often discarded after use. This makes them an affordable pigment that can help reduce production costs. |  |
 | Indigo: Indigo is a timeless colourant from classic blue jeans to Japanese Indigo Shibori. Natural indigo dye comes from the Indigofera plant (or Isatis tinctoria) and has long been used by ancient civilisations from India, East Asia, Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica. In addition, dark blue tones are also suitable for permanent/exterior spaces that are impacted by sunlight, rain and wear and tear. The indigofera species is found all over the world. The dye is obtained by processing the plants’ leaves. The leaves are first soaked in water and fermented in order to convert the glycoside indicant which is naturally present in the plant into the blue dye idigotin. The Romans used indigo as a pigment in painting, for medicine and cosmetics. It was a luxury item that was imported from India into the Mediterranean by Arab merchants. Today, indigo is also produced synthetically and available in various shades. The three natural colourants — green algae, coffee and indigo — met our sustainability criteria, but also created a contemporary palette that demonstrated the versatility and aesthetic potential of Formwork IO’s carbon negative paving block. |
A New Approach: Sustainable Palettes for Construction Materials
Our journey choosing environmentally friendly colourants taught us about the principles that underlie more sustainable material choices and brought us to a deeper understanding of the immense possibilities of natural colourants, the production and supply chain considerations when working with natural pigments, their resilience to weather and factors impacting their local availability. The sheer beauty and variety of natural pigments provides an opportunity to reframe our reliance on synthetic pigments and colourants.
While sustainable and carbon neutral pigments are only adopted by a tiny proportion of industries today, environmentally conscious generations are demanding change and radical transparency from companies — construction materials are no exception. As consumers gain awareness about the dangers of toxic colourants, the move to eco-friendly pigments may be a natural next step in our evolution. There are alternatives that are safer for the planet and its inhabitants. We are proud and excited to have made a start. This is one small step, and we look forward to exploring more of these planet-friendly pigments in the future.
Get started with Formwork IO today. For more details on Formwork IO products and technology Contact Us
While sustainable and carbon neutral pigments are only adopted by a tiny proportion of industries today, environmentally conscious generations are demanding change and radical transparency from companies — construction materials are no exception. As consumers gain awareness about the dangers of toxic colourants, the move to eco-friendly pigments may be a natural next step in our evolution. There are alternatives that are safer for the planet and its inhabitants. We are proud and excited to have made a start. This is one small step, and we look forward to exploring more of these planet-friendly pigments in the future.
Get started with Formwork IO today. For more details on Formwork IO products and technology Contact Us
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A Carbon Negative Paving Block to Tackle Scope 3 Emissions
Deploying scalable carbon negative and carbon neutral materials can drastically reduce upfront carbon in the buildings and construction. Our materials choices — both big and small — can make our 2050 climate goals a reality.
How Built Environments Can Meet The Climate Challenge
“A quarter of a building’s emissions are locked in on the first day the occupants walk through the front doors. Every project team gets just one shot to reduce the upfront carbon of their next building.”
— Jorge Chapa, GCBA
The buildings and construction sector makes an outsized contribution to global carbon emissions with almost 40% of all energy-related global greenhouse emissions coming from built environments. Our most widely used construction materials — cement and steel — are two of the most significant sources of material related emissions, with cement manufacture responsible for 7% of global carbon emissions. With global building stock expected to double, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) identifies decarbonisation of the built environment as one of the most cost effective ways to mitigate climate change. The WGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment aims to halve emissions produced by the building and construction sector by 2030 and totally decarbonise by 2050.
By 2030, all new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have at least 40% less embodied carbon with significant upfront carbon reduction, and all new buildings are net zero operational carbon.
By 2050, new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have net zero embodied carbon, and all buildings, including existing buildings must be net zero operational carbon.
Tackling embodied carbon — the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions associated with materials and construction processes through the lifecycle of a building — will be key to meeting these targets.
Scope 3 Emissions and Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal of building materials used in construction. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard splits GHG emissions into three scopes:
How Built Environments Can Meet The Climate Challenge
“A quarter of a building’s emissions are locked in on the first day the occupants walk through the front doors. Every project team gets just one shot to reduce the upfront carbon of their next building.”
— Jorge Chapa, GCBA
The buildings and construction sector makes an outsized contribution to global carbon emissions with almost 40% of all energy-related global greenhouse emissions coming from built environments. Our most widely used construction materials — cement and steel — are two of the most significant sources of material related emissions, with cement manufacture responsible for 7% of global carbon emissions. With global building stock expected to double, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) identifies decarbonisation of the built environment as one of the most cost effective ways to mitigate climate change. The WGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment aims to halve emissions produced by the building and construction sector by 2030 and totally decarbonise by 2050.
By 2030, all new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have at least 40% less embodied carbon with significant upfront carbon reduction, and all new buildings are net zero operational carbon.
By 2050, new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have net zero embodied carbon, and all buildings, including existing buildings must be net zero operational carbon.
Tackling embodied carbon — the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions associated with materials and construction processes through the lifecycle of a building — will be key to meeting these targets.
Scope 3 Emissions and Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal of building materials used in construction. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard splits GHG emissions into three scopes:
Scope 1 emissions are from a company’s operations that are under a facility’s direct control, e.g., on-site fuel combustion;
Scope 2 emissions are from usage of electricity, steam, heat and/or cooling purchased from third parties; and
Scope 3 emissions are upstream and downstream value chain emissions, including upstream supply chain emissions from purchased products, transport emissions, and business travel and downstream emissions from transport of products, usage of sold products and product disposal.
Upfront or “cradle-to-gate” embodied carbon refers to embodied carbon impacts up to the point of purchasing, and are therefore accounted as scope 3 emissions. These are carbon emissions that have already been released into the atmosphere before the building is occupied or the infrastructure begins operation.
At the asset level, upfront carbon will be responsible for half of the entire carbon footprint of new construction between now and 2050, consuming a large proportion of the world’s remaining carbon budget. As operational carbon (energy to heat, cool and power buildings) is reduced, embodied carbon and Scope 3 emissions will continue to grow in importance as a proportion of total emissions.
In addition to the fossil-fuel based, carbon-intensive manufacturing processes of cement and steel, traditional building materials don’t have the ability to remove carbon from the environment. Even if emissions are minimised during construction, the carbon emitted by the building through its lifecycle remains positive. An effective material solution straddles multiple objectives, not only minimising emissions during production and transportation, but also minimising carbon emissions through its lifecycle.
Scope 2 emissions are from usage of electricity, steam, heat and/or cooling purchased from third parties; and
Scope 3 emissions are upstream and downstream value chain emissions, including upstream supply chain emissions from purchased products, transport emissions, and business travel and downstream emissions from transport of products, usage of sold products and product disposal.
Upfront or “cradle-to-gate” embodied carbon refers to embodied carbon impacts up to the point of purchasing, and are therefore accounted as scope 3 emissions. These are carbon emissions that have already been released into the atmosphere before the building is occupied or the infrastructure begins operation.
At the asset level, upfront carbon will be responsible for half of the entire carbon footprint of new construction between now and 2050, consuming a large proportion of the world’s remaining carbon budget. As operational carbon (energy to heat, cool and power buildings) is reduced, embodied carbon and Scope 3 emissions will continue to grow in importance as a proportion of total emissions.
In addition to the fossil-fuel based, carbon-intensive manufacturing processes of cement and steel, traditional building materials don’t have the ability to remove carbon from the environment. Even if emissions are minimised during construction, the carbon emitted by the building through its lifecycle remains positive. An effective material solution straddles multiple objectives, not only minimising emissions during production and transportation, but also minimising carbon emissions through its lifecycle.
The Innovation Behind Our Carbon Negative Paving Block
“Our Carbon Negative Paving Block can help reduce Hong Kong’s carbon footprint by up to 10%. Compared to a business-as-usual concrete paving block in Hong Kong, we’ve successfully reduced 110% of embodied carbon to create a carbon negative block. Our approach removes carbon dioxide (by up-cycling exhaust gas from industries, which would have otherwise gone into the atmosphere) through a new carbon reactive cementitious material, and an innovative carbon curing technique.”
— Antonio Ng, CEO Formwork IO
— Antonio Ng, CEO Formwork IO
To tackle Scope 3 emissions, most green building products on the market today fall into three broad categories; some contain a high percentage of recycled content, some emit less carbon, and a few others absorb and remove carbon. Formwork IO offers a radical alternative, the Carbon Negative Paving Block combines all three attributes into one product.
In collaboration with Nano Advanced Material Institute and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, we have successfully reduced 110 percent of the embodied carbon to go beyond zero. Through the R&D process, we were able to design out as much as 90 percent of the embodied carbon in our paving block. For the remaining 20 percent, we developed an innovative carbon removal technology that mineralises and permanently locks away carbon dioxide during production. Over 60 percent ingredients are upcycled from industrial wastes and concrete from demolition. The paving block can withstand over 30 MPa in compressive strength.
In comparison, a typical concrete paving block in Hong Kong represents around 1.043 kg CO2 e per unit (100 mm x 200 mm x 60 mm, weighing 3.5 kg). Through our circular lifecycle design approach, we have designed out about 92% of the embodied carbon from 1.043 to 0.075 kg CO2 e per unit. Through carbon removal, we are able to further remove another 18% to reach -0.102kg CO2 e per unit. The final result comes in at -0.102 kg CO2 e per unit, -28.641 kg CO2 e per ton, -63.565 kg CO2 e per m3.
Our life cycle assessment result issued by Hong Kong Polytechnic University certifies Formwork IO’s carbon-dioxide cured paving block as carbon negative, sequestering more carbon dioxide than it emits.
While carbon emissions are a global issue, embodied carbon is region specific. Materials that have a small carbon footprint in one region could entail a larger carbon footprint in another geography. Formwork IO’s Carbon Negative Paving Block was developed with regional supply chains and scalable volumes to ensure the life cycle emissions of our products are minimised.
We Need Bold Leaders to Enact Meaningful Change
In collaboration with Nano Advanced Material Institute and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, we have successfully reduced 110 percent of the embodied carbon to go beyond zero. Through the R&D process, we were able to design out as much as 90 percent of the embodied carbon in our paving block. For the remaining 20 percent, we developed an innovative carbon removal technology that mineralises and permanently locks away carbon dioxide during production. Over 60 percent ingredients are upcycled from industrial wastes and concrete from demolition. The paving block can withstand over 30 MPa in compressive strength.
In comparison, a typical concrete paving block in Hong Kong represents around 1.043 kg CO2 e per unit (100 mm x 200 mm x 60 mm, weighing 3.5 kg). Through our circular lifecycle design approach, we have designed out about 92% of the embodied carbon from 1.043 to 0.075 kg CO2 e per unit. Through carbon removal, we are able to further remove another 18% to reach -0.102kg CO2 e per unit. The final result comes in at -0.102 kg CO2 e per unit, -28.641 kg CO2 e per ton, -63.565 kg CO2 e per m3.
Our life cycle assessment result issued by Hong Kong Polytechnic University certifies Formwork IO’s carbon-dioxide cured paving block as carbon negative, sequestering more carbon dioxide than it emits.
While carbon emissions are a global issue, embodied carbon is region specific. Materials that have a small carbon footprint in one region could entail a larger carbon footprint in another geography. Formwork IO’s Carbon Negative Paving Block was developed with regional supply chains and scalable volumes to ensure the life cycle emissions of our products are minimised.
We Need Bold Leaders to Enact Meaningful Change
The human and environmental impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly hard to ignore. As architects and engineers, property developers and asset managers, we now have a realistic chance of transforming Hong Kong’s urban landscape. Our Carbon Negative Paving Block can help reduce Hong Kong’s carbon footprint by up to 10%. As leaders in our industry and inhabitants of our planet, we recognise that changing our materials choices will be critical to helping decarbonise our energy-intensive sector. The time to act is now.
References
www.wbcsd.org/contentwbc/download/12446/185553/1
carbonleadershipforum.org/targeting-net-zero-embodied-carbon/
References
www.wbcsd.org/contentwbc/download/12446/185553/1
carbonleadershipforum.org/targeting-net-zero-embodied-carbon/