Sustainability

 

Sustainability is one of those Key Words in my head. It encompasses such a large swathe of information surrounding the business I am trying to create, from recycling and reusability to my own perceptions and emotions to the practices and procedures I use every day. Sustainability, as the word suggests, is about the ability to sustain an activity, whether this is in environmental terms or in more personal ones.

Sustainable with respect to the environment implies that the resources used must be balanced out by the output, this is nigh on impossible in current environments, I have to get my clay, slips, and glazes from sources with practices unknown to me. At the moment I have made a compromise with myself (and not a particularly happy one) to use these sources, since working without them would upset the sustainability from a personal point of view (I simply do not have the energy required to dig my own clay).

Sustainability with respect to myself revolves around ensuring I can sustain the emotions and perceptions caused by my business. I find I cannot simply adopt a business head and have almost a separate existence in the business to my personal life. My personal life and the business must integrate smoothly together. I have problems with depression and paranoia, the business has to be able to adapt to these. It is currently doing this by starting from small seeds, a stall, and small work area so as not to scare the living crap out of me (which I have to admit starting the business is doing) .

Working with clay is inherently a recycling experience, the medium itself demands it. There are always scrag ends of clay left over from a piece. they're dumped in a big bin together cos you don't want the dust getting everywhere, all takes is a bit of water and a bit of a smushing and you're back to having clay again. With this in mind, recycling and reusing is a must with pottery. Currently pieces are wrapped in old newspaper and given out to customers in plastic bags. Old plastic bags are also used to wrap wet pieces and cereal boxes are cut up for card to use as templates. Even turning tools can be made from old pens and twisted up paper clips. And I'm always looking for more suggestions.

The main thing bothering me at the moment is waste material that I cannot reuse, nor am I disposing of in a way I am satisfied with. Mostly this is clay contaminated with other material, such as plaster of paris or coloured slips, I really dont know what to do with it, there must be some use for it, its still as malleable as ordinary clay, but I can't fire it when it has plaster in it. Perhaps there's some way of straining out the plaster, any suggestions welcome.