In France, a company called Scalite has developed a ceramic tile alternative made from fish scales. According to a profile by online publication Inhabitat, cofounder and Royal College of Art in London graduate Erik de Laurens invented Scalite while trying to revitalize manufacturing in the Basque region of France, where traditional tile-making was a dying art.
The scales are like stone, with textured appearance and natural colors such as sand or aqua. The scales come from collagen extracted from the scales of salmon, sardines and other fish species mixed with a biopolymeric binder. A surface coating can be added to make the material appropriate for applications such as backsplash and wall tile.