“Buy Less, Choose Well and Make It Last”

Vivienne Westwood

ARE CERAMICS SUSTAINABLE?

In today's consumer-driven world, so many things are made to have a short life cycle and are easily disposed or replaced without a second thought.

Ceramics can be considered an antidote to this because of its durability and longevity in our lives.

You can buy mass produced cheaper versions of course, but will you cherish it? or will you throw it out sooner than you care to admit?

When buying something you think is beautiful and timeless, unique and functional, you will appreciate it for years to come. Ceramic pieces can be passed down as heirlooms to be treasured, ensuring fewer items end up in landfills.

As well as helping protect the environment, you will be doing your part to support local and independent artists.

That being said, for transparency and honesty, I have to also note that the world of studio ceramics is not 100% eco friendly.

Water usage, fuel consumption, the use of chemicals and glazes as well as packaging do (and should) come into question.

As a small independent creative, I am nowhere near able to have zero carbon footprint and declare to be 100% sustainable but where possible and within my means I aim to reduce it as much as possible.

Below you can find my studio practices to help minimize my impact on our eco system..

CLAY and WATER

Simple and honest. Clay is a plentiful and an incredible gift from Mother Earth that has been used for centuries as a raw material.

Clay is completely recyclable (until it has been fired) and has no expiry date.

Every scrap of waste in my studio is salvaged for reuse, even the clay dust and excess from tools are rescued in the container of water faithfully used while making all my pieces.

The water and clay will eventually separate and the clay 'slurry' can be recycled and wedged into a new ball of clay. Sometimes this can produce a wonderfully new 'surprise' color and texture when a mix of clay scraps have come together. The water will be repurposed to top up my spray bottle for hydrating clay when needed.

Any pieces that have not turned out as expected after the drying period can also be rehydrated and recycled to be worked with again.

The only clay that can not be recycled in this way is clay that has been bisque fired (when 'clay' becomes 'ceramic'). If there are unusable pieces that didn't survive the bisque fire then I will repurpose these items. For eg. small broken up pieces can be used as drainage for plant pots, glaze testers, or, if the pieces only have small imperfections but are unsellable, then I will finish them and use them around my home or offer them as gifts.

ENERGY

Using a kiln and firing it to very high temperatures uses a lot of energy. As the majority of kilns run on energy derived from fossil fuels, this process leaves a considerable carbon footprint on the environment. I use an electric oven, which is much cleaner than a gas oven but still uses energy. However the heat generated from my oven is used to heat the studio on cold days! Additionally, I only use the kiln 1-2 times per month currently at off peak energy times and I always make sure my kiln is at full capacity and never half full. Solar power would be perfection but this is not an option for me now. In the future I also plan to investigate alternatives such as wood and pit firing.

GLAZES

Like stone, clay weathers and decomposes over time. However, if it is glazed, pottery takes much longer to biodegrade.

However, still considerably more gentle to the environment than plastics.

Some glazes contain harmful chemicals or ingredients that are naturally sourced but are rare and non renewable. Furthermore, when using glazes, the pieces require a second firing in the kiln to achieve the final finish thus using more energy.

So therefore, I am beginning to lean towards a more raw and natural aesthetic to my pieces. Using glaze finishes to a minimum to eliminate the second firing. Instead I am bringing textures and color through various techniques as decoration, rather than colored glazes. you will see this more in my upcoming collections. Where ever glazing is needed I am more selective and conscious about my selection.

I also plan to explore the use of ' burnishing' and ' terra sigillata' instead of transparent glaze. However this is a much slower and time consuming process.

PACKAGING

To ensure that the ceramic piece you have purchased arrives to you unbroken is one of the most important aspects of a ceramics business. Therefore packaging can be expensive and time consuming but definitely cannot be compromised!

All my packing materials are recyclable and eco friendly. No plastic bubble wrap, no plastic sticky tape, no polystyrene fillers.

I use Ranpak which is an eco-friendly packing material. It is a honeycomb structured (strong) paper that creates cushioning instead of using plastic bubble wrap.

On the rare occasion that you may ever receive a package that has plastic bubble wrap, this is because I am repurposing what has been received by me elsewhere and I encourage you to repurpose it forward and do not throw away in the trash.

I use repurposed paper products to surround the ceramic piece for extra protection and for packing the space within the box. Don't be surprised if you find an empty kitchen paper roll or two!

Instead of the standard plastic parcel tape, I use very strong self adhesive paper tape that is made from recycled material and can also be recycled with the cardboard packing box.

Cardboard boxes and packing materials from my own suppliers are sometimes reused if I am confident they are in good enough condition to safely carry your pieces.

As a designer, presentation is everything but I prefer it to not be at a cost to our planet. so if repurposing is an option that may not be the prettiest or slickest looking, but does the job, then its ok for me and should be for you too.