CragLev Carbon Capturing Retail Chalk

In 2018, we began researching ways to combat climate change by sequestering airborne carbon dioxide into magnesium carbonate climbing chalk.

After successfully developing a prototype, we decided on a few basic criteria that it must meet:

1. It must be carbonated by carbon dioxide in the ambient air (known as direct air capture, or DAC).
2. All ingredients must be environmentally friendly and not use mined magnesite as a base ingredient.
3. The performance characteristics must match mined magnesite-based chalk options. Generally, synthetic magnesium carbonate chalk tends to sacrifice performance compared to mined chalk. Our prototype is as high-performing as magnesite chalk.

We were able to meet all three goals by utilizing a similar refinement process as magnesite-based chalk, but changing ingredients to those that are environmentally friendly, as well as one key ingredient that is carbon-negative. This allows us to recapture some of the carbon dioxide used to make the chalk.