the vast red landscape behind aluminum

Across the outskirts of aluminum refineries, enormous deposits of rust-colored earth stretch for miles to form strange red landscapes visible even in satellite images. This is bauxite residue, commonly known as red mud, the alkaline waste left behind when alumina is extracted from bauxite ore. More than 150 million metric tons are generated globally each year, adding to stockpiles already estimated at over four billion tons. Most remains in vast storage facilities, despite decades of research into potential uses for the material .

Amsterdam-based Studio ThusThat has been exploring what might become of this enormous industrial byproduct. Its ongoing Red Mud project transforms the residue into finely formed ceramic vessels and experimental building materials, offering an unexpected glimpse of what the waste could become.…