From trash to table.

Whenever an unfired plate breaks in the microfactory we shed a few tears for the work we have to redo, and then we happily add the pieces to one of our recycling mixes. These mixes are left to dry, broken in small pieces and then soaked in water on their way to becoming usable clay - the perfect clay for restaurant Rest in Oslo to plate their waste-based fine dining on!

We work with a lot of different clays to be able to create the variation which is greatly appreciated by the restaurants we work with as well as by ourselves. When mixing all these together we do meet a few challenges, as different clays have different technical qualities that might not go well together. But for logistical and practical reasons (or perhaps because we like making things difficult for ourselves) we separate our recycling only in lighter and darker colours.

From the top our recycled plates look more or less like plates made from new clay, but when turned around the truth is revealed.

The front and the back of the Brem 19 plates for Rest - the recyling is clearly visible on the back.

We separate our recycling into a dark and a light mix.

The same glaze will look darker when used on the dark mix and lighter on the light mix.

Light, semi-light, mixed, half-dark, dark.

We recycle things that break before the first firing. They are broken into smaller pieces and added to water when they are completely dry.

As we recycle many different clays into the same mix there is always a risk of cracks due to tension, but by mixing the clay well we usually avoid this problem.