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There is something about a handmade mug that feels different the moment you pick it up.
But is handmade pottery actually more sustainable than factory-made ceramics, or does it just feel that way because someone with clay-covered hands smiled at you while selling it?
As a small studio that spends most days juggling clay, kilns, glazing tests and the eternal search for where the sponge has gone, we get asked this question a lot at Habulous.
The honest answer is not black and white. Sustainability is complicated. It is full of experiments, compromises, learning curves and those slow, steady improvements that rarely make flashy headlines but genuinely matter.
So grab yourself a brew whilst we dive into it.
Ceramics come with a few unavoidable realities.
Clay has to be quarried. Kilns get seriously hot. Glazes rely on minerals. Packaging still exists. Parcels still travel.
Whether something is made in a giant factory or in a tiny workshop producing handmade ceramics, there is always an environmental footprint somewhere in the process.
The difference usually comes down to how things are made, how many are produced, how far they travel, and whether that bowl ends up quietly becoming part of your everyday routine for years to come.
Mass-produced ceramic homeware is designed to be made fast, in huge numbers, and shipped far and wide.
That often means:
To be fair, large manufacturers can sometimes be efficient with materials and energy simply because of scale. Modern factories can recycle heat, automate processes and reduce certain types of waste.
But the whole system is usually built around volume. Lots of plates. Lots of mugs. Lots of moving parts.
In a small pottery studio, things move at a very different pace.
Handmade pottery tends to involve:
When you’re producing pottery homeware yourself, every cracked bowl and misfired glaze feels personal. You quickly get motivated to waste less, reuse what you can, and make objects people actually want to keep.
Small studios also tend to experiment more with recycled or alternative materials, simply because we are closer to every step of the process.
Let’s be honest though. Handmade does not automatically mean perfect for the planet.
Kilns still use a lot of energy. Clay still needs to be quarried. Glaze ingredients still have to be sourced.
A tiny studio firing a kiln for just a few shelves of mugs is not magically carbon-neutral just because everything is wheel-thrown.
Sustainability in handmade ceramics comes from lots of small decisions adding up rather than one grand gesture.
Whether something is factory-made or handcrafted, a few key things make a real difference.
Some potters look for recycled components in clay bodies, re-use water from throwing, or reclaim trimmings instead of binning them.
Others focus on glazes that are tested carefully so fewer pieces are lost during firing.
A sturdy mug that becomes your everyday favourite for ten years is almost always better than three trend-led cups that chip and get replaced.
Good ceramic homeware is designed to live in cupboards, dishwashers and busy kitchens, not just look pretty on a shelf.
Sustainability is not just about how things are made. It is also about how much we buy.
Choosing one bowl you love rather than five you feel lukewarm about is quietly powerful.
Ceramic waste is a much bigger issue than most people realise.
In one ceramic production cluster in India alone, researchers reported around 21,600 tonnes of fired, broken or rejected ceramic waste every year. That is pottery that has already been through energy-hungry kilns, only to never make it into someone’s home.
Once ceramics are fired, they are incredibly difficult to recycle back into usable clay. Which means every piece that gets thrown away after firing represents a lot of lost energy, materials and time.
This is one of the reasons we care so much about keeping waste to a minimum in our own studio.
When a piece does not turn out quite as planned but is still functional and beautiful, we do not see that as something to hide away. Our seconds ceramics are sold at a lower cost rather than being discarded, giving them the chance to live a long, useful life instead of heading for the bin.
Sometimes a glaze fires slightly differently. Sometimes a shape is not quite right for a full collection. The important thing is that the mug still makes a cracking cup of tea and the bowl still earns its place in a cupboard.
That mindset of using what is already made, rather than constantly starting again, is a big part of how small studios like ours try to tread a little more lightly.
There is something comforting about knowing who made the plate you eat off or the earrings you put on in the morning.
With handmade pottery, you often get:
Those quirks tend to make people keep pieces longer. And keeping things longer is one of the simplest forms of sustainability there is.
Sometimes yes. Sometimes not automatically. Often it depends.
Small studios can cut down transport miles, work in limited runs, choose greener suppliers, fire kilns thoughtfully and focus on long-lasting pottery homeware rather than fast décor cycles.
Factories can be efficient at scale but are often tied to high volumes and rapid turnover.
The most sustainable option usually sits somewhere between all that complexity.
It comes down to intention, transparency, steady improvement and how long a piece ends up living in your home.
As a growing small business, our approach is refreshingly simple.
Keep learning. Keep adjusting. Keep nudging things in a better direction.
That means paying attention to:
Some changes are small. Together, they really do add up.
Learn more about our sustainability practices.
If you are drawn to handmade ceramics, chances are you already care about craft, longevity and buying consciously.
That mindset matters just as much as production methods.
Choose pieces you adore. Use them daily. Look after them well.
That ceramic mug might turn out to be one of the most sustainable things in your kitchen.
