Sustainable Business Practices: Stoneware
The essence of pottery, and dinnerware, by extension, is sustainability. Pottery sustains the earth by using natural materials and reducing plastics. Dinnerware sustains the lives of those who eat off of them. As part of our 2023 initiative, we are working to ensure a complete system of sustainable business practices. We aim to create products that are not only beautifully inspired but also to produce eco-friendly dinnerware that works harmoniously with the planet.
As such, we call on nature as our inspiration and guide. It suggests colors, textures, and designs. It gives us the natural resources to craft them into quality, sustainable products for you..
In nature, everything unfolds according to a cycle of life and transformation. Our aim, then, is to work alongside this rhythm by crafting our products with the maximum attention toward the environment and everything that lives within its confines – including you!
We use stoneware to help us in this endeavor toward more sustainable business practices – and we will also be switching away from our use of earthenware. Here’s why you’re going to love this change:
A Quick Guide to Stoneware
What is Stoneware?
Stoneware is a non-porous ceramic material made from clay fired at very high temperatures, 2150 and 2330 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact. Born from intense conditions, stoneware is well-known for its ability to withstand similar conditions throughout its lifetime, hence the name due to its stone-like qualities. In addition, the extreme heat changes the constitution on a microscopic level, solidifying the material in the process.
Also contributing to this sturdy reputation is that stoneware's thick-set composition is known to be crack and chip-resistant. While stoneware is a general pottery term, you’ll find it most commonly used to make eco-friendly dinnerware.
Is Stoneware Eco-friendly?
Yes, stoneware is famously eco-friendly for several reasons, including:
Long Lifecycle
Stoneware is one of the most durable forms of ceramics available. It lasts longer and needs replacing far lost often, which limits demands on the earth’s natural resources while making for great eco-friendly dinnerware that never fails for the earth's inhabitants.
Damage-Resistant
Due to its relatively small pore size, stoneware is essentially “locked off” from outside influences. As such, it does not deform or freeze and is resistant to even the most aggressive chemicals.
Fireproof and Non-Toxic
It diminishes the risk of fires and therefore avoids the emission of toxic substances. And, thanks to its being an inert material, it doesn’t release any type of contaminant into the atmosphere.
Is Stoneware good for the environment?
Interestingly, stoneware is sustainable from start to finish, making it ideal for small businesses that want to employ sustainable business practices. Moreover, its production is "zero waste," based on natural and reusable materials manufactured within energy and water-efficiency criteria.
Stoneware vs. Earthenware
Stoneware and earthenware often come hand-in-hand when either is discussed. This is because they share many similarities, and their differences arise simply because of the firing temperature differences.
Earthenware has been one of the longest-used materials in pottery throughout history. This is because it can be fired at a lower temperature, making it more accessible to those lacking in technology or means of using sufficient energy to keep a hot temperature. In fact, pit-fired earthenware was first developed around 25,000-29,000 years ago.
Stoneware is one of the more recent options. The technique only originated around 1,400 BC in China.
Some quick facts on stoneware vs. earthenware include:
- Stoneware is fired at a temperature between 2150 and 2330 degrees Fahrenheit. Earthenware clay is fired at comparatively lower temperatures of around 1945 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The pores of stoneware are considerably smaller than those of earthenware.
- The material of stoneware is dense, hardy, and can resist all kinds of scratches, even those made by a steel point, making it the ideal material choice for eco-friendly dinnerware. However, earthenware is comparatively less robust.
Stoneware: Our Eco-Friendly Dinnerware Material of Choice
While earthenware is easier to produce and, therefore, cheaper, it is much more vulnerable to chipping, breaking, and general wear and tear. Stoneware, on the other hand, is a durable and completely non-toxic type of cookware that's safe and can last forever if cared for properly. That is why one of our sustainable business practice resolutions here at Euro Ceramica is switching our remaining earthenware products to stoneware.
