Handmade Pottery & Sustainability

We all try to change our lives towards sustainable living. There is a huge demand and massive responsibility lying on each of us to try and lower our carbon footprint. The handcrafts, including handmade pottery, play a significant role here with its recycling, preserving, lowering waste and teaching appreciation of things around us. Furthermore, there were some calculations showing that there is way less kg CO2 spent on production of a kilo handmade pottery than, for example, on production of a kilo of meat (https://www.oldforgecreations.co.uk/blog/the-co2-cost-of-pottery?rq=CO2).

How do I minimize my carbon footprint in pottery making? First of all I recycle all bits of clay before bisque firing and I try to minimize glaze coverage of my pieces.

Secondly, my pottery wheel consumes energy from 12 solar panels set on the roof of my house. Additionally my studio is the brightest room in the house and I rarely turn on the light during the day.

All my business related trips I try and do on my bike or using public transport. I also offer free delivery by myself riding a bike within Haarlem, the Netherlands. 

I reuse as much as possible carton boxes, wrapping paper and wrapping bubble sheets which I have tons since our recent move to a new house. Please excuse me if my packages look not too glamorous :) 

I try not to print unless I have to and I carry a poster with QR code instead of business cards to all my markets. Furthermore, all my cards and posters are printed on environmentally friendly paper at a local Haarlem print business. Additionally, I have designed the paper production myself and print in minimalistic black and white colours.