Ceramic Manufacturing – Waste Reduction and Re-Use

The Environment ‘ Waste Reduction and Re-use’

Objective
To demonstrate Steelite International’s commitment towards reducing its impact on the global environment.

History
Incorporated as Steelite International plc in 1983 - trading under different umbrellas since the late 19th Century
Ceramic manufacturing and distribution based on a 13 acre site in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - the “Potteries”
Global coverage with 4 further distribution sites in:
America
Australia
Canada
Netherlands

Environmental Credentials

To be the hospitality industry’s preferred choice for tabletop products achieved through a combination of inspirational design, excellent quality, outstanding service whilst minimising our impact on the environment
Our Vision

Our Process - 2007 Raw Materials in Ball Clay China Clay Filler Flux Water Mixing Arks (Secret Recipe) Sliphouse Material Pressed - Removes Water Pugged - Removes Air (Evens Body) Released to manufacturing Cups, Holloware, Flatware made Overlooked Fired to “Biscuit” Sponged (Wet) Best Best Reject Reject Effluent Cone Effluent Press Landfill Waste Water Modified Waste Water

History
The process:
Waste water pumped into an effluent cone
Chemicals added to split the waste material from waste water
Waste material settles at bottom of the cone
Waste water is pumped off the top
Waste material is pumped into an effluent press
Result: 400 tonnes (annually) of clay waste going to landfill

The Challenge
To take Steelite International recycling to the next level - in 2007 25% of waste leaving site was destined for landfill sites
To reduce the amount of material sent to landfill - ≥ 350 tonnes in 2007
To save money on raw materials
To make the operation simpler and if possible less labour intensive
To have a Unique Selling Point (USP)

The Solution
The Lamella Project was:
Set up to identify a means of recycling clay waste - our biggest source of landfill
Designed to reduce the amount of raw materials purchased
Designed to reduce land fill and impact on the environment
Designed to reduce the amount of chemical components used to settle our waste effluent
To make Steelite International a market leader in the recycling of waste materials - our USP

The Investment
The Lamella Filtration System was identified as a solution:
Cost of purchase and installation - £85k
The amount of material saved per year - estimated at £50k
Chemicals averaging £10k per annum (Settling purposes)
Question:
Was this the time to invest in a project which has a 1.5 year pay back?
Answer:
YES!

Project Lamella
The Lamella system works by:
Allowing dirty water to run downwards into a separator chamber through an inlet channel
Once the water reaches the middle of the separator, the flow is reversed which forces the water upwards and out of a clean water outlet
The particles in the dirty water travel at a slower speed than the clean water so when the flow is redirected upwards, the particles settle within the Lamella and slide down into a sludge funnel
The process is highly efficient and subsequently, requires significantly fewer chemicals to purify the cleaned water

Our Process - Currently Raw Materials in Mixing Arks (Secret Recipe) Sliphouse Material Pressed - Removes Water Pugged - Removes Air (Evens Body) Released to manufacturing Cups, Holloware, Flatware made Overlooked Fired to “Biscuit” Sponged (Wet) Best Best Reject Reject Sump in yard area Lamella Plant Waste Water Reclaimed body material Waste Water Ball Clay China Clay Filler Flux Water

Lamella Efficiency
The facts:
Every 20 Litres of discharged water filtered through the Lamella yields enough solids to produce a small coffee cup and saucer
Based on the current throughput of effluent we save enough material to make 15,000 cups and saucers per week
The benefits:
Reduction in the purchase of raw materials and chemicals
Less transport of materials and reduced vehicle emissions
Annual savings equivalent to 400 tonnes of raw material – 4,000 tonnes not needing to be quarried, processed or delivered

Statistics - 2010 Waste Breakdown
With support from several local companies we have managed to recycle above 90% of the waste leaving our site; last year hitting 94%, 2011 is forecast to exceed 96%.
What happens to our waste?
Pitcher waste is used as raw material for Johnson’s Tiles (Tile body)
Plaster waste is used as raw material for Cheadle Recycling (Gypsum industry)
Refractory waste is processed by Grange Aggregates (General aggregate)
General waste is hand sorted by Brown’s Recycling and 71% is reused or recycled
All wood, paper, cardboard, glass, WEE and scrap metal is 100% recycled

‘ Made for Life’
Our Made for Life Campaign:
Aimed at highlighting our production of the most durable ceramic tableware on the market
Designed to raise awareness of what Steelite International is doing to reduce its impact on the environment by making a product fit for purpose not just for today but also going forward

‘ Made for Life’ - The Launch We took a traditionally British symbol on tour around the country... Then we stood it on 4 of our standard mugs… Highlighting the strength and durability of our ware…

What Next…
We are in the process of launching our biggest ever energy survey to identify what we use and how we use it.
This will highlight the areas in which we need to concentrate our efforts.
Once identified we aim to reduce our energy consumption by 30% over the next 5 years without reducing our quality or the durability of our products.
Recycling will hit the target of 100% recycling of all manufacturing waste leaving our site by 2015.
These are bold statements, but they will be met as we have a vision and it is a sustainable one.

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Ceramic Manufacturing – Waste Reduction and Re-Use

by Ceramics 2011 on Nov 11, 2011

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