BURDEN

2018 / ceramic dishware + iittala production waste

​

Until recently I didn’t realize that there is a problem with ceramic waste which also means a waste of labour, waste of energy and waste of time and space. Furthermore, fired ceramic is impossible to recycle. The majority of this waste is ceramics with cosmetic defects or rather irregularities, most of the time as small as a tiny dot of a different colour in the glaze of the ceramic. The usability of the dishware is not actually affected by the errors but the dishes are still discarded as they are thought to be undesirable. Although this waste makes up 20% of all production by the ceramic industry, the fact is never communicated through the dishware in our households.

​

The project aims to emphasize the link between the sold and the wasted product. To communicate the issue at a scale that a single individual can relate to. By placing the exact amount of waste produced with every teacup in front of the consumer. To inform the people about the burden we carry with us, to touch it, play with it, get annoyed by it. What will it take to consider using 'lower' grade ceramics instead of discarding them?

The project hopes to raise awareness about the amount of waste produced by the ceramic industry and its relation to the consumers' aesthetic preferences.

​

​