The Marine Terrazzo: A Material Made From Recycled Shells

Did you know that oyster and scallop shells inspire designers? While we usually throw these shells away, it is possible to recycle them. Several companies in France have decided to give them a second life in the form of an aesthetic and functional material: marine terrazzo. We invite you to discover this material that creatively repurposes shells.

Marine waste to be valorized

The oyster and scallop shells that we consume in large quantities during the holiday season, for example, are generally incinerated. It is estimated that 250,000 tonnes of these shells end up in the trash each year.

In France, there are very few recycling channels for these shells even though they constitute a 100% natural and renewable raw material, useful and local.

To valorize this waste, two young Breton entrepreneurs, Hugo Kermarrec and Morgan Guyader, founded Malàkio in September 2020. This brand, whose name means mollusk in Greek, sells objects made from recycled shells. The two founders have indeed developed a composite material that resembles a kind of marine terrazzo.

Objects made from recycled shells

The Breton company Malàkio recycles oyster and scallop shells by transforming them into design and eco-friendly objects.

They offer items such as trivets and coasters, pots, vases, as well as coat hooks, mirrors, lighting fixtures, and furniture (mainly table and coffee table tops).

All these beautiful and functional objects have in common their composite material called Istrenn. This innovative material is composed of 60% recycled shells and 40% mineral matrix. The result is a durable material whose speckled appearance is reminiscent of terrazzo, but it is a marine terrazzo!

A material that has it all

To create this trendy new material, oyster and scallop shells are collected directly from producers or shellfish restaurants. They are cleaned and crushed before being mixed with a mineral matrix and a small amount of glue.

Marine terrazzo is increasingly attracting the design and interior decoration sector because it offers numerous advantages. It is an eco-friendly material made in France since it is locally and low-tech manufactured from a 100% natural and renewable resource. Its production process, which requires no baking, consumes little energy, thus also reducing the environmental impact of the final material.

The shellfish waste recycling industry is booming in Brittany and Normandy. Moreover, Malàkio is not the only local company giving a second life to shells. In France, other companies such as Artmeta and Ostrea Design transform simple marine waste into custom-made materials. Indeed, the final advantage of this terrazzo made from recycled shells is that it is customizable!