Sustainability
Our regional location allows us to implement sustainability practices that wouldn’t be possible in an inner city location. Among other initiatives, we installed solar panels last year to help offset our kiln firings. Harvested rainwater is used for production, which is filtered and used to water the garden. Our clay offcuts are recycled for reuse.
Design
By approaching our design process with longevity in mind we are ensuring that we are not unnecessarily depleting resources. Our pieces are designed for everyday use and to be cherished and kept forever. This helps to reduce their environmental impact over their usable life.
By using locally sourced materials and manufacturing onshore we are able to reduce our environmental transport cost significantly compared to using imported clays and/or manufacturing offshore.
Raw Materials
elph ceramics are crafted from Australian made mid-fire clays. These clays are fired to a lower temperature than traditional tableware clays without compromising quality. The lower temperature uses less electricity and extends the life of our kilns. Our raw material clays are produced on Australia’s East Coast and our ceramics are manufactured in NSW reducing environmental transportation costs. This is especially important as clay is very heavy to ship!
Manufacturing & Clay Recycling
By throwing our products on the pottery wheel there is very little raw material waste. The clay offcuts created during production are recycled to be used again. This is a labour intensive choice and is more expensive than purchasing new clay however it is extremely important for us to reduce material waste.
The water used in production is harvested rain water. Any waste water is filtered using a clay ablution system before being used to water our garden
Solar Panels
Our pottery has high quality roof mounted solar panels and a battery. This helps us offset the power used during production, and reduce grid power used during kiln firings.
Packaging
With the exception of the reusable gift ribbon, all our packaging is recyclable. We use No Issue Tissue and recyclable Hex Wrap to wrap our ceramics. To protect our ceramics during delivery we use biodegradable pebble fill which can be composted.
A key goal we have as we grow is to create meaningful employment for ceramicists in Australia. We love being a part of the Australian ceramic ecosystem and although we are one of many ceramic studios in Australia, the decisions that we all make impact the future of this vibrant industry. Thank you for supporting Australian made.
