Super Eco

Photo credit: Pottery Blog: Emily Murphy

Nothing says "earthy" and "natural" like a handmade ceramic bowl or tea cup. Clay from the earth, shaped by hand into a unique, utilitarian and beautiful object that's yours and yours alone ... Unfortunately, the process of creating pottery is anything but sustainable. We were as shocked as you are to hear this (especially since I've been pining for someone to gift me with a handmade tea cup from Etsy for some time now), but we found clear responses from responsible, environmentally aware potters. EcoSalon asked Etsy ceramic artist Whitney Smith about the eco-friendliness of her work. Here’s what she said:

"I wouldn’t consider my process eco-friendly. Pottery production uses a lot of energy, and many of the ingredients in glazes and the clay body itself are toxic and cancer-causing in their raw form, and are mined from the earth. I take steps to reduce harm to the environment and myself and employees in my relatively low-production studio, but as a general rule it is impossible to make eco-friendly pottery, though I have seen people make that claim. As far as energy usage, I know some people have employed solar panels to reduce usage, but kilns use so much energy that solar panels are a minor offset at best.  Wood burning and gas fired kilns pollute the air. I know PG&E, my energy provider, claims that over 50% of the energy provided to Northern Californians is wind energy, but who knows?"

What are eco-aware ceramic artists doing to make their work more sustainable? We discovered a nascent green movement toward more environmentally friendly ceramics (via Green Ceramics).

• What does it mean to be a green potter?
• Ways to make ceramic arts greener
• More ways to be an eco-friendly potter
• Carbon offsets for potters
• Wind energy offsets for potters
• One potter's Green Manifesto
• A more sustainable university pottery art program