Smog Air Filters Tiles

Commercial air purifiers in offices, malls, hospitals, and other establishments generate a growing stream of used HEPA and carbon filters. Once saturated, these filters are loaded with smog pollutants such as PM2.5, heavy metals, VOCs, and soot, effectively turning them into hazardous waste. With frequent replacements required in polluted cities, large volumes of such filters are discarded every year, but there is no clear regulatory category or recycling pathway for their safe disposal.

Through our innovation, these used filters are safely repurposed into composite materials. Our partnering company collects the filters during routine replacements and brings them to our center, where they are crushed into aglo. The smog-laden aglo is then molded into durable panels that encapsulate both the captured pollutants and the plastic matrix. These panels are being explored for wall cladding, and a pilot batch has already been used to make an office table. An additional experiment is underway to use the same material for air purifier machine casings, closing the loop on waste.

This process ensures that toxins trapped in the filters are permanently locked inside a new material,eliminating risks of leaching or re-emission. By converting hazardous filter waste into functional and aesthetic products, it not only diverts tonnes of waste from landfills and incinerators but also introduces a circular economy pathway for indoor air purification. The result is an eco-innovation that protects both human health and the environment.