Circular Ceramics

Long description

Circular Ceramics by Sara Howard is a handmade tableware collection made from industrial waste by-products. By applying the principles of the circular economy, Sara has designed an industrial symbiosis around the ceramics industry, whereby the waste by-product from one manufacturer becomes the raw material in ceramic production.

Many of the raw materials used today for ceramic production are expected to run out over the next 30 years, based on current rates of consumption and our known resources. In addition, England produced over 10 million tonnes of industrial waste in 2018, containing many of the finite raw materials which are becoming scarcer and already seeing an increase in price as a result. Circular Ceramics minimises the consumption of finite raw materials and diverts waste away from landfill, securing a future for the ceramics industry and our planet.

The extruded tray plates are arguably the most sustainable ceramic plates produced. Not only are they made entirely from waste materials, but the process itself does not require any form of electricity or plaster moulds. In addition, this is a process that can be applied to mass manufacturing.

Alongside Sara’s Circular Ceramics tableware collection, she has also self-published an open source book, outlining the methods of reclaiming industrial waste from the glass, stone, construction and ceramics industry. These methods can be applied to all scales of ceramic production from studio potter to mass production, providing both ecological and financial gains.

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