Monday, January 28, 2008

How Can I Be An Eco-Potter?

All you have to do is Google "Eco Pottery Studio" Or "Green Pottery Studio" and you will get many sites to visit, but here are a few things that I came up with;

Always fully load your kiln, maximize space and therefore your energy use, lowering your carbon footprint.

Only use glazes that are certified food safe and lead free, non toxic is good!

Keep your studio clean! Use a HEPA filter on your vacuum and wet mop often; this will eliminate airborne silica dust.

Always recycle your clay! I know a lot of potters don’t like to, but it saves money and the environment. Keep a barrel of cast-offs and trimmings to be reclaimed later.

Instead of using a sink for washing, use buckets or tubs, one for clay and one for glaze, after a month or so let the particles settle, siphon off the water then recycle the clay and see what the glaze turns out to be. You can always use the same water to water your garden, just don’t use it for vegetables. Or Install filters or catch basins on the sinks in your studio to catch any clay or glaze particles that can then be recycled or disposed of properly.

These along with the standard things like turn off lights when not in use will help you to be more environmentally friendly in your studio.

If you must use plastic shopping bags save them to be used as packing materials.

For other great tips on making your studio green visit squidoo

We all need to do whatever we can to support the environment.

No comments: