Engineers in Australia have developed a new reusable and recyclable building material made from cardboard, soil, and water that has approximately one-quarter of the carbon footprint of concrete. This innovative material, called cardboard-confined rammed earth, could significantly cut the carbon footprint of construction, while reducing waste going to landfill, according to a statement released Monday by Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The material, which eliminates the need for cement, produces about one quarter of the emissions of concrete while costing less than a third as much, the statement said. In a separate study, Ma combined carbon fibre with rammed earth, achieving strength comparable to high-performance concrete. Especially suited to hot climates, rammed earth buildings naturally regulate indoor temperatures and humidity, he said.