One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Or, in this case, one man’s toilet is another man’s bathroom tile. Kohler, a prominent manufacturer of plumbing products, is launching into the business of recycled goods by producing bathroom tiles made of discarded clay from the toilet making process, colored with iron “slag”, and glazed with a leftover enamel glaze. The iron gives these sustainable tiles amber and mahogany hues, and they are the brainchild of WasteLAB: Kohler’s division which experiments with non-hazardous byproduct repurposing.

Although the unusual composition of the tiles required experimentation with the storage and transportation process, Kohler says the tiles have been an enormous success. On top of being aesthetically appealing, customers love the story behind their creation. Kohler says it plans to expand its WasteLAB projects and offer other products made out of waste material in the near future. We at the Optimist Daily love this innovative example of how you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability!