DBL Ceramics turns tile-factory sludge into classroom chalk — MAD STARS SDG Grand Prix

Tile manufacturing is resource-heavy, and DBL Ceramics, one of Bangladesh's leading tile makers, ran its plant with a strong sustainability ethos — recycling 100% of production water. But the water-recycling step left behind a residue clay that could not be discharged into landfills without risking soil and water contamination. That 'impossible waste' became the starting point.

Instead of paying to dispose of it, DBL asked whether the residue could help make education more sustainable. Six months of research with local chalk manufacturers produced TileChalk: dust-minimized classroom chalk that is cheaper to make than traditional chalk, plus lightweight slate boards pressed from broken tiles — reviving the reusable chalk-and-slate classroom while cutting plastic-dependent school supplies.

The first batch of 10,000 packets was distributed through partner NGOs, reaching more than 1,000 underserved schools across Bangladesh; the DBL site later reported the initiative had reached over 4,000 schools. To scale the impact, DBL made the TileChalk formula open-source, published the manufacturing steps, and even wrote letters to competitors urging them to adopt the process.

TileChalk won the Grand Prix in the SDGs category at MAD STARS 2026, with two Crystal Awards in PR and Brand Experience & Activation, following earlier recognition at ADFEST, The One Show, the AdForum PHNX Awards and Spikes Asia — turning an environmental liability into a circular product and a reproducible blueprint.