can ceramics be considered as ecological?…

My more than 10 year observation says “no”, as a candid answer. But on the other hand, it is sustainable in longevity.

Extractive clay mining, energy-dense high-temperature firings, and non-recyclable glaze chemicals carry a clear ecological footprint. However, unlike plastic or mass industrial waste, a fired ceramic piece lasts centuries without leaching toxins, and raw materials remain inert once mature.

So, contemporary ceramic artists and studios should be eco responsible. What can we do in this regard:

-reclaim 100 per cent of raw, unfired clay scraps, trimming dust and slip water.

-personally, I would like to start more single-firing (raw glazing/monocottura). It means, to apply slips, engobes, or glazes directly on greenware and fire once. Eliminating the bisque fire could cut total kiln energy consumption and carbon emission by 40-50 percent.

-reclaim glaze sludge: collect run-off glaze rinse water into a reclamation vessel, test the resulting mixed sediment as a “mystery glaze”. If not so fancy, you at least can use this new mix for the inside glazings.

-maximize firing density: never run a half-empty kiln, carefully put smaller pieces inside larger hollow objects.

-whenever possible, drop firing profiles: shifting from cone 10 (1280) to cone 6 (1220) or cone 04 (1060) reduces energy load significantly without sacrificing vitreous durability.

-if you have students coming to your studio, require them to fully sketch, plan and refine greenware before commitment. Unfired clay can always be slaked back into workable consistency, waste only occurs once it touches the heat.

-respect earth gifts: treat clay nor as a cheap disposable craft supplies, but as ancient geological matter that requires energy to transform permanently.