CalStar Suspends Fly Ash Brick Production

In 2010, CalStar started manufacturing bricks made from type C fly ash, local aggregates, and proprietary ingredients (see CalStar to Begin Production of Fly Ash Bricks). The company’s products made use of a coal industry waste product and did not require energy-intensive firing or portland cement for curing, so they had a smaller carbon footprint than either fired clay or concrete brick.

On the other hand, the product contains 40% fly ash, which can contain the heavy metals mercury, lead, and arsenic. The company claimed testing showed that heavy metals are safely encapsulated by their process. (See our position on fly ash for more information.)

Whether or not CalStar will resume production is unclear, but Ratchford claims an acquisition of the company is imminent, so fly ash bricks and pavers may be available again in the near future.