Rubble2Tile – piloting tile production using destruction waste
Rubble2Tile is an applied research and demonstration project that explores whether construction debris generated by war-related destruction in Ukraine can be safely transformed into architectural tiles for future reconstruction. The project focuses on generating technical, environmental, and economic evidence to support circular and low-carbon recovery pathways.
Project team:
Strategic Partnerships – Roman Puchko
Project Management – Natalie Fadeeva
R&D Management – Svitlana Kyrii
Communications – Maryna Naumenko, Liza Makarytska, Olena Musiienko
Partners:
Technical and research partners involved in testing and assessment
Supported by:
Mercy Corps
Year:
2025-2026
Project Inquiry
The destruction of buildings caused by russia’s aggression has generated millions of tonnes of debris across Ukraine. At the same time, urgent rebuilding creates pressure on natural resources and risks increasing emissions if conventional, linear construction models dominate recovery efforts.

With limited recycling infrastructure and a lack of tested reuse solutions, there is a critical need to understand whether debris can be safely reused in construction rather than disposed of in landfills. Rubble2Tile addresses this gap by testing the feasibility of transforming war-related debris into circular construction materials.
About
the Project
The Rubble2Tile project explores how tiles can be produced from recycled war-damaged debris.
The project focuses on:

- developing tile prototypes using recycled war-related debris;
- conducting certified laboratory testing of tile prototypes for technical performance;
- assessing environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness;
- documenting results to support evidence-based reconstruction decisions.
Project Contribution
Rubble2Tile contributes to Ukraine’s recovery by generating evidence that can inform:
- future pilot reconstruction projects;
- policy and standards discussions;
- investment and scaling decisions;
- professional and academic learning on circular construction.

This project is implemented by ReThink with the support of Mercy Corps.

The contents of this website are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Corps.