This 26-Year-Old Designer Is Recycling Ceramic Waste Into Household Products
June 2019 | An interview with India-based industrial designer Shashank Nimkar.
Have you ever wondered what happens to ceramic products once we discard them? Or what happens to the waste produced in a ceramic factory? Once fired, ceramic is no longer biodegradable.
India-based industrial designer Shashank Nimkar decided to find a solution for discarded ceramic. The 26-year-old is making recycled household products from ceramic waste. According to Nimkar, it is extremely important to reuse and recycle ceramic products, since they are non-biodegradable.
Turning Ceramic Waste To Valued Items
Talking about his project of recycling and reusing ceramic waste, Nimkar says for designers it is imperative to make an impact through creative thinking and questioning, especially when others fail to recognise opportunities. “Adding clutter to the already saturated market doesn’t make sense, at a time when we need to focus on reusing and recycling,” he says.
“If as designers, we are not adding functional, social or environmental value to our tangible outputs, other than aesthetics, then we are only adding a layer of art over an existing design,” Nimkar tells us.
The Process
In order to create new products from already fired ceramic, Nimkar follows a set of procedures. He first crushes fired broken ceramic pieces or industrial rejects to a fine powder. This powder is called grog.
A high percentage of grog is then mixed with a minimal quantity of virgin clay, which acts as a natural binder. This dry mixture is then blended with minimum amount of water and a few minerals that act as deflocculant. The mixture now turns into a liquid state, which is called slip.
This slip is then cast in plaster moulds and allowed to settle. After a while any excess slip is poured out of the mould, which is then allowed to dry. Once dry, the piece is taken out of the mould, cleaned, glazed and fired.
“The new three Rs for avoiding material wastage of this project are: Remake. Reuse. Repeat. All the above steps can be repeated if we get any rejections during this process,” Nimkar says.
New Uses Of Recycled Ceramic
Once reused and recycled, the possibilities of turning ceramic into new products is endless. Since the recycling process of a fired ceramic offers the possibility of casting, designers can mould it into any imaginable 3D form.
The applications range from tableware to lifestyle accessories, from architectural elements to furniture. These new products are easy to maintain and are also weather resistant .
“Since the firing process of ceramics is irreversible, the natural material contained within the rejects goes to waste. We are literally consuming a part of earth in a way that cannot go back to nature. Hence, by using fired ceramic rejects in high proportions we can reduce mining for natural resources. We can keep reusing the material that we have already borrowed from nature for multiple production cycles,” Nimkar explains.
Production Viability
The most exciting part of this sustainable solution is that products created from recycled ceramics can be used as raw material for multiple cycles, without any compromise on quality. This adheres to a closed-loop manufacturing process, which contributes to a better circular economy.
Considering its ecological, economical and technical advantages, this process can easily be adopted in developing nations at various levels, depending on their application of the material.
According to Nimkar, recycling and reusing ceramic can reduce mining for natural resources to a great extent. These products can be manufactured using existing technology and processes. Hence, there is no requirement for any sort of investment. One can mould ceramic products through casting, which offers endless possibilities with 3D forms. Since each new product is coated with a layer of fresh glaze, they are completely safe as tableware, Nimkar adds.
The Champion
Shashank Nimkar has recently completed his graduation project from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He has developed applications for fired ceramic waste through recycling of fired ceramics rejects at industries in high proportion.
The future looks exciting and equally promising for the 26-year-old designer, as there have already been several takers for his recycled ceramic products. Nimkar hopes more individuals and organisations come forward to make this an economically viable project.
“The project has been recognised by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for a circular economy workshop in London, in association with Ideo. This has encouraged me to take the project ahead and commercialise it for the benefit of all the stakeholders,” he says.
So, the next time you want to throw away your old plates, bowls and vases. Think again! Or simply recycle!
Photo credit: Shashank Nimkar
