The topic of environmentally friendly business practices is becoming more prevalent than ever before in the business world today. Due to the rising threat of climate change and overuse of natural resources, businesses both large and small are encouraged by consumers as well as environmentalists to jump on board with contributing to a better planet for future generations.
Felt+Fat is the go-to tableware manufacturer for restaurants in and outside of the United States. The company based out of Philadelphia is best known for its handmade ceramic dishes and also produces durable and elegant tableware as well as home goods like vases and planters. Felt+Fat proudly practices sustainable manufacturing through its ceramic production and strives to do its part in leaving a smaller carbon footprint while still functioning as a ceramics manufacturing business.
There are specific steps businesses can follow to practice sustainable manufacturing in the ceramics world to ensure minimal waste and harm, which
Felt and Fat proceeds to highlight.
What Sustainability Looks Like in the Ceramics Industry
The ceramics sector is still dominated by huge companies producing millions of pieces per year, though in recent years, small to medium sized operators such as Felt+Fat are making their creative and manufacturing voices more heard by embracing sustainable production processes.
Current regulations and manufacturing technologies may differ for ceramic businesses based on regions and size, yet multiple actions run universal throughout the industry that can be practiced together and incorporate environmental caution.
Ceramics production produces elements that interact with the environment through its activities to produce products. These
elements include air emissions, process wastewater, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions, and process losses and waste. Air emissions include soot, particulate matter, and gaseous emissions like carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, and heavy metals, sulfur oxides, and inorganic fluorine and chlorine compounds. The process wastewater produced is primarily made up of mineral components and other inorganic materials. One of ceramics main production processes includes drying before firing, which results in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Lastly, various types of sludge, used plaster molds, broken ware, dust, used sorption agents, packaging waste, and ashes are categorized into process losses and waste created due to ceramics production.
Steps Ceramics Organizations Can Take Towards Sustainable Manufacturing
Companies should make sustainability production a priority in the ceramics industry to help cut down on using up the planet’s natural resources at a detrimental rate. Here are a few steps ceramic manufacturing businesses can take to contribute to an environmentally friendly cause:
1. Do not waste; recycle. During the manufacturing phase of ceramics production, a large amount of waste is produced. Instead of letting waste be wasted, ceramic businesses should recycle it. Upon completion of the demolition and deconstruction stage, waste like ceramic tiles can be crushed and reused as a resource for multiple things like road construction or concrete aggregates.
2. Strive for energy efficiency. Ceramic manufactures can cut down on oil use through energy-efficient machinery and additives that are eco-friendly to allow greenhouse emissions to decrease. Purification systems and filtering systems can also contribute to a more minor release of harmful environmental factors.
3. Seek certifications. Several certifications help improve a ceramic business’s environmental performances through standard management. Such certifications include EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), ISO 14000 (a family of standards related to environmental management), and the tool EU ECO-LABEL “Flower.”
About Felt+Fat
Felt+Fat is a tableware manufacturer in Philadelphia, well-known for exquisite, handmade ceramic dishes. Their customers include famous chefs like Eli Kulp, and their work has been featured in publications such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Food&Wine, Bon Appetite, and The New York Times. Established in 2014, Felt+Fat has developed proprietary blends of porcelain and glazes to create elegant, durable tableware.
