A chance visit to the Diespeker & Co factory by Scott Maddux of Maddux Creative resulted in a new purpose for waste material from processes used in the creation of marble flooring, cladding and worktops. Scott saw the potential of the leftover marble as a material for an unusual design of outdoor furniture, and the result was a collaborative recycling initiative between Diespeker and Maddux Creative.

As an experienced manufacturer of bespoke terrazzo, Diespeker already uses marble chippings, although these are especially imported from Italy. Scott’s idea was to utilise the same process using the waste aggregate to create the furniture.
The process is based on traditional manufacture: the chippings are added to the cement mix, which can be coloured with pigment as desired. The liquid terrazzo is then cast into moulds, rolled, trowelled, hardened and polished.

The resulting furniture pieces are opulent and robust like solid stone, and show no evidence of having been made from what is, in essence, industrial waste. An additional benefit is that no two pieces are ever the same, creating unique pieces that attracted much attention from design creatives when exhibited at Clerkenwell Design Week earlier this year.

John Krause, MD of Diespeker & Co says he is delighted with this innovative and practical solution to waste marble. “The company has been working with marble and terrazzo since the 1890s, so we have a very close relationship with these materials. Using cast off bits of marble to create something of beauty – this is recycling at its very best.”