Environment Awareness I am very aware of the heavy impact on the environment of our everyday lives and have been concerned from the start about the potentially hefty footprint that the creating of ceramics may cause. With this in mind I have, over time, modified my studio practice so as to minimize the cost to the environment.
When I was considering naming my business, "Earth to earth Ceramics" seemed the perfect fit for the message I want to get across and the story I want to tell through my pottery. I have spent many years as a church minister and have officiated at many funerals. One of the lines that is used at a burial, is that we remember that we are made of earth and to earth we return, "earth to earth, dust to dust..." They are words that remind me that all we have and are are gifts from the earth and we will pay tribute again to the earth by resting in the ground that gave us being. Our journey in-between life and death is a fragile, beautiful one and I believe it is our work to tread carefully and thoughtfully, generously and compassionately. And so I try to apply that philosophy into my pottery making.
Sourcing Clay I mostly purchase commercial clay for my making, but strive to purchase only locally (from Canada) sourced and processed clay in order to reduce (even if it is only a little) transportation and emissions. When I use natural or "wild clay" I act as responsibly as I possibly can by taking only very small amounts without disturbing the immediate environment (eg. from exposed ditches, builder's excavations, culverts)
Little / No Waste The most wonderful thing about raw clay is that it can be recycled countless times! I work hard in my studio to not waste any clay at all! Much of my work is carved - all of the carved chips are saved and recycled into useable clay. Almost all the water I use in my making and washing up is recycled in some way, eg. the water I use to throw with is tipped into my clay reclaim bucket so that no clay particles are lost; water I use to wash up with is separated into clean water - to throw with and that full of clay particles - tipped into reclaim bucket and so on. Items that have dried and be crushed down and recycled into re-usable clay and ceramic items that have been fired and that are not quite perfect are sold as "seconds". Unsold items are given as gifts or donated to thrift shops.
Energy Efficient Firing When I bought my kiln I bought the very best, most energy efficient kiln I could afford. It's just a little one, the Skutt KMT-822-3. It has 3 inch kiln bricks for added insulation and reducing heat loss and the kiln controller tells me the exact cost of each firing. I also save work to be fired so that I can fill my kiln as much as possible to reduce the number of firings I may do.
Toxic-free Glaze The toxicity of certain ceramic glaze ingredients has long been a concern, both for the maker's health and environmental safety. I use no lead-based or other toxic compounds in my home-made glazes. Safer materials not only reduce the risk of contamination but also ensure that the final products are safe for everyday use, particularly in items like cups, mugs and dinnerware.
Packaging I use only recyclable packaging materials for my pottery (cardboard, cardboard boxes, paper packaging, biodegradable packaging peanuts). While I don't use any plastic or bubble wrap in packaging, I do use plastic from time to time in the studio - but this is only ever re-used plastic which I keep re-using. I use it to cover the drying pottery so that it does not dry too quickly in order to prevent cracking.
Work in Progress I know that my studio practice is a work in progress. The more I learn the more environmentally responsible I will become and I am committed to the process of reducing my footprint on our precious environment.