In an area where less is more, we have been trying to answer a simple, yet complex question for more than 3 years: can porcelain be recycled?
Well… the anwser is YES. And we are not talking about recycling a few pieces of clay here and there. This is more than just reusing scracths that would fall from production and reintegrat them in the process. We are talking about a whole new way of re-using industrial waste and dirty water. In order to create a brand new clay that would be used again… Instead of using new materials. This is how it works.
Conserving the Earth’s resources
This is the challenge that REVOL, as porcelain manufacturer, is facing. Conserving the Earth’s resources, create less waste and use less primary materials. Because we are one of the only factories that makes their own clay, this is the question. How can we use less material, and re-use more of it?
Water to clean it all
Water is what is used to clean the machines, make the clay, wash the molds and restart the entire process. All this water gets dirty with clay and minerals. Even if the water has always been purified in the past, the new https://mamaisonrevol.revol1768.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/FHA-Revol-2A6A9736-2-1.jpgutionnary idea is to re-use the compact minerals that are in this water. This new material has to be sorted and re-mixed so that the clay gets the same aspect and criteria than the “new” clay. The goal is also that the clay has to achieve the same caracteristics as the “new clay”. This Recylcay will look greyish but will have the same properties as a brand new batch of white porcelain clay.
A second life
The recylclay will therefore have a different physical appearance but the exact same properties. Those properties include resistance to the heat, resistance to thermal shock, non porousity and resistance to dishwasher machine. By giving a second life to this material coming from the industrial waste, we are not only creating less waste but we are also needing less material than before.
Our commitment to the Earth
Our pledge for 2020 is to reincorporate 80 tonnes or 17,6370 pounds of industrial waste into our production process. Which means we will use 80 fewer tonnes of primary materials (which are the kaolin, feldspath, clay and silica).
The challenge was to participate to a substainable economy and play the best part we can in our community. Can porcelain be recycled? We found a way to do it and this is a big change for the industry!
As a manufacturer, our main source beeing what comes from the Earth, it was important for us, to give back to the Earth. This Recyclay has been used for the latest collection of REVOL, NOW.
View a video report about the factory here.
