KENOTEQ is to begin the commercial production of millions of K-BRIQs as it receives enquiries from across the world for the low-carbon brick following it securing dual international certification.
Up to two million of the recycled bricks will be produced from construction and demolition waste after achieving certification from the British Board of Agrément (BBA), which follows it securing certification for use in the US.
The unfired K-BRIQ, made from nearly 100% recycled construction and demolition waste, has been certified with the same accreditation as standard clay bricks, yet is said to produce 95% less embodied carbon due to its ‘innovative’ production process.
With no standard testing regime for a non-traditional building material of this type, the K-BRIQ underwent an ‘unprecedented’ level of testing over several years. Notably, it received the maximum durability rating possible, which is particularly important for the UK market.
The certification means the low-carbon bricks can now be specified into a wide range of construction projects – from facades and feature walls to brick plinths.
Kenoteq is beginning commercial production of up to two million bricks annually. This will scale to four million as required, from its first production facility in East Lothian. The company then plans to set up regional production both in the UK and internationally to provide low carbon building products from local waste.
The firm revealed that public sector organisations and developers in London are already showing ‘strong interest’ in the environmental credentials of the innovation. Educational
estates, large scale office buildings, and major urban regeneration projects are tipped to be among early adopters.
Sam Chapman, co-founder and executive director of Kenoteq, said, “This certification marks the arrival of a truly transformative building material for the construction and interior design industries. Unlike approaches that simply treat the symptoms of construction’s environmental impact, the K-BRIQ addresses the root cause by directly tackling the waste crisis while delivering a product that performs exactly like traditional materials, including the clay brick.
“Securing BBA certification allows our product to be specified with confidence on commercial projects across the UK. We’ve already seen significant interest from leading property developers, architectural firms and public sector bodies committed to reducing the carbon footprint of their construction projects.
“The K-BRIQ is not just an environmentally superior alternative to traditional bricks, but a technically robust building material suitable for a wide range of construction applications. With our certification secured, we can now scale up production to meet market requirements while maintaining the exceptional quality and sustainability credentials that set us apart.
“The construction industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining high standards of quality and safety. The BBA certification of the K-BRIQ demonstrates that these goals are not mutually exclusive – we can build better while building greener.”
The K-BRIQ has reportedly achieved 100 tonnes of carbon savings in demonstration projects delivered to date. The solution aim to deliver a major advancement in sustainable construction materials at a time when embodied carbon is increasingly recognised as crucial to the whole-life carbon impact of buildings.
With a standard two-bedroom house in the UK typically requiring around 12,000 bricks, using a standard clay brick creates 5.46 tonnes of CO2e, a more comprehensive measurement than CO2 alone. Building with the K-BRIQ, in contrast, creates 0.2 tonnes of CO2e.
Katy Roberts, sales and marketing director at the British Board of Agrément, added,
“The BBA is proud to play its part in helping clients like Kenoteq bring innovative and sustainable new products into the market. In a sector where safety, performance, and trust are non-negotiable, third-party certification plays a crucial role in enabling innovation.
“Independent certification provides a rigorous, evidence-based pathway for new products to gain market acceptance. It reassures stakeholders, supports regulatory compliance, and ultimately helps turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world construction solutions.”
With all K-BRIQs now achieving the highest level of durability rating under BBA certification, the Medero Dark Grey K-BRIQ variant has achieved an A-class fire rating, allowing its use in buildings classed as the highest risk. The K-BRIQ is available in 12 different colours, produced using recycled pigments, offering architects and developers aesthetic flexibility without compromising on environmental performance.
The BBA certification enables the K-BRIQ to be used in a range of building applications, satisfying insurance, warranty, mortgage and third-party liability requirements, which have previously been barriers to the widespread adoption of innovative construction materials.
Early adopter projects across the UK and Europe have already showcased the capabilities of the K-BRIQ including walling and installations at Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre at BE-ST (Built Environment Smarter Transformation), Oaklands College in St Albans, a sustainability-blueprint hypermarket store in Germany owned by Europe’s largest retailer Kaufland, which is the company behind Lidl, and the fast-growing Gail’s Bakery chain.
