Granbyware’s eco-friendly dinnerware is made up of discarded tiles, bricks, and glass
|For most of us, buying cookware or dinnerware is one of the easiest ways to spruce up a kitchen. The eclectic range of pots, pans, and mugs of various shapes and kinds can give your kitchen a bespoke look, with minimal effort and a modest budget. That being said, hundreds of households across the world depend on affordable plastic cookware to cook and serve food every day. The dependence on plastic is an environmental hazard that has escaped our notice for decades. The convenience and affordability associated with plastic containers and utensils might have made them popular, but there is a more serious side to such usage. For starters, most plastic waste ends up in landfills leading to plastic pollution and takes several decades to decompose.
Moreover, single-use plastic like water bottles, shampoo bottles, and cutlery might be used just for a few hours but can persist in the environment for several years. Almost 40% of the plastic produced across the world every year is of the single-use variety. About 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated across India daily, with some 6,000 tonnes remaining uncollected. The precarious dependence on plastic has goaded innovators across the world to come up with alternatives. One such solution is Granbyware’s eco-friendly collection of dinnerware that is made of recycled waste. The range of products is not only reasonably priced but is also available in unique designs and vibrant colors. The Granbyware range perfectly balances quality, looks, and sustainability.
The USP of these products is that they are made completely from recycled products. The company even claims to have designed the world’s first 100% recycled ceramic tableware. Granbyware uses everything from factory sludge, crushed glass, ash, recycled car batteries and discarded tiles to design its products. The cookware is the result of years of testing and formulation of processes that have ended in a beautiful solution that also protects the planet. Each of these pieces is made in Granbyware’s Liverpool-based workshop in the United Kingdom and can be used safely in both microwaves and dishwashers. This means that you wouldn’t have to wash your dishes by hand every day just to keep them safe.
Granbyware’s range of products includes a 27-centimetre big plate that is perfect for a homecooked meal. You can easily fit in a full meal onto the product. If you are looking for something smaller in size, Granbyware has you sorted on that front as well. The company has designed a smaller 22-centimetre plate that is perfect for snacking and breakfasts. They make for a beautiful accompaniment for a slice of cake or a bagel. Fancying pasta, soup, or salad? The Granbyware collection has the ideal product for you. The 21-centimetre bowl makes a good dish to go for a steaming serving of pasta or soup. With its wide mouth, you can easily use it to toss up a few ingredients for a fresh salad as well. The collection includes smaller bowls for munching on smaller snacks like cereal. Lastly, there’s the 9cm x 8cm mug to make you enjoy your tea or coffee even more. You can buy these products in sets of three and five pieces. Alternatively, you design your own combo of products.
You can buy the mugs at £20 apiece, while the small plates and bowls are priced at £20 each. The big plates and bowls cost £25 each. You can mix and match to create a vibrant dinner set for your home.
Granbyware’s production ideology is based on the core principles of ceramic chemistry and waste management. The raw materials are sourced locally and the production process does not involve the addition of any new materials, additives or binders, thereby reducing wastage. Each batch of waste is tested using an XRF analysis to reveal its exact mineral composition.
Talking about the recycling process, Granbyware uses a different recycling product for every kind of waste used in the production of its products. For industrial clay waste, the superfine material is used for binding the clay together. The glass is crushed into a powdered form and forms the base of the glaze. Granbyware’s workshop is strategically located and has easy access to several factories in the northwestern part of the UK. It’s only an hour away from Stoke in Trent.
The company also uses dust from granite, marble, and slate quarrying in its production process to control the melting process of the glaze. Bricks discarded from kilns and factories are recycled by crushing them into a powder. The alumina and magnesia in these bricks strengthen the glaze and also gives it the required texture. Finally, the ceramic waste extracted from broken tiles and discarded ceramic items helps in minimizing shrinkage. It also fixes any glaze defects and adds a splash of color to the products. The interior of these products sports a smooth and beautiful finish, while the exterior is left unglazed and rugged. The dishes have a water absorption level of less than 0.5%.