Circular Matters, in collaboration with Front, manufactures wall cladding tiles from agricultural by-products such as corncob and wheat gluten, which act as carbon storage. The production process involves mixing raw materials, pressing, and applying pigments. Depending on the pigments used, the tiles are available in three variants: CornWall Rust Red, CornWall Warm Beige, and CornWall Dark Blue.

Circular Matters, based in Belgium, partnered with Monk Spaces to quantify the environmental impacts through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In addition, a custom Estimator sheet was developed to predict the environmental effects of newly manufactured products.

The assessment followed international standards, including ISO 14040, ISO 14044, EN 15804+A2, and adhered to the requirements of PCR 2019:14 – “Construction Products.” The PCR defines the mandated life cycle stages: manufacturing (A1–A3), end-of-life (C1–C4), and benefits (D). It also specifies the required impact indicators set by the International EPD System. The functional unit for the study, as defined by the PCR, was 1 kg of product.

• Manufacturing stage (A1–A3): raw material extraction and packaging (A1), transport of materials (A2), and production processes including rooftop solar energy use and waste generation (A3).

• End-of-life stage (C1–C4): demolition, waste transport, and recycling of tiles. Default scenarios were assumed from PCR 2019:14 based on material type, transport distances (incineration or recycling), and waste processing/disposal methods.

• Module D: quantifies the environmental benefits of recovered and recycled materials, which reduce the need for producing virgin tiles.

A comprehensive input sheet was designed for the manufacturer, capturing primary data on raw material procurement, manufacturing, transport, energy and water use, packaging, and waste generation. LCA results were derived using this primary data along with secondary data from the Ecoinvent database. Impacts were quantified across categories, including global warming potential (GWP-Total), additional impact indicators, natural resources, waste flows, output flows, and biogenic carbon content. Results were documented in a detailed LCA report.

The findings highlighted plant performance under current conditions and pinpointed opportunities for emission reduction. Key contributors across life cycle stages were analysed for each product variant, alongside scenarios evaluating transport and electricity use. Based on this analysis, recommendations were made to guide decarbonisation strategies for the products.

In addition, an Excel-based Estimator tool was developed to analyse the environmental impacts of new product compositions using the same raw materials. The tool incorporates raw material quantities, transport distances, energy consumption, material wastage, and packaging. It serves as a decision-support system, enabling Circular Matters to apply LCA consistently while scaling operations to new products.

The assessment concluded with checks on completeness, consistency, and sensitivity. It helped Circular Matters identify key environmental impacts and offered actionable insights to improve operations.