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We thought you would like to know that we are trying to do our part to leave a little bit less of a carbon footprint on the world. And we are glad our manufacturers are also trying to leave less of a footprint. Together, if we all keep working on this, we can make a difference. So, although it is baby steps right now, here are some of the things we are doing:
1) Our 3 largest color companies - Mayco, Amaco and Duncan have gone non-toxic. They have been working on converting leaded glazes to non-toxic for a few years now - not an easy task! - and as of March 2009, will no longer produce any leaded products. They have been able to convert many, if not most, of their most popular lead glazes to non-toxic, but alas, there are some that defy being converted due to the very chemicals and minerals that make those colors. Those are simply being completely discontinued. Lead in ceramic glazes made the glaze ‘move out’ and made the process of glazing and firing with good results an easier job. Studios, shops, potters, finished ware producers will do well to begin testing NOW as they will have a learning curve with the new unleaded and non-toxic glazes. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin experimenting with the new glazes and then end up with impossible deadlines and unacceptable finished pieces. We are delighted that the color companies have taken this initiative. We also know we have quite a road ahead of us over the next year or two as we work to help our customers with the conversions and glazing and firing techniques for best results.
2) Our kiln manufacturers are also working diligently to improve their warehouses, offices and production capabilities - analyzing and assessing how they can make a difference - and have made great inroads. Paragon Kilns has converted their lighting in the their warehouses and offices to more energy efficient and green solutions. Read more on the Paragon web site.
3) Here in our offices, showroom, classrooms and warehouses, we too, have taken steps to help the environment and cut down on costs such as recycling glass, metal and plastic. We use fans to help cool rather than turning down the temperatures on the air conditioners. We shred papers and use for packing materials when we can or recycle the paper into notepads. As packing boxes come in, we reuse those to pack for our customers. When we have to buy new boxes, we buy only ones made from recycled paper. We use energy efficient light bulbs wherever possible in all areas of our business. We do not print annual catalogs that go out of date each year and end up in the trash. Instead we use our web sites, manufacturer’s web sites, CD’s, DVD’s and manufacturer’s catalogs whenever possible to reduce waste. Our delivery schedules are set up to minimize wasting gas.
We encourage our customers to look for ways they, too, can recycle and conserve energy whenever and wherever possible. Have some great ideas? E-mail us and let us know - we will post your ideas and suggestions and tips on our Ceramics Going Green part of our site.
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