It is always inspiring to hear of new ways that old waste materials are being transformed into something completely different – benefiting the planet and appealing to the style conscious among us. One non-renewable resource that we do not hear nearly enough about re-purposing is metal, and few are clued in to the various industries that produce copious metal waste such as water treatment plants.
Designer Agne Kucerenkaite saw an opportunity in this waste product, which comes as a metal sludge mixture including materials such as iron, aluminium, and zinc. Although it doesn’t seem like much, Kucerenkaite realised through extensive research that this material had great colouring potential. By drying, milling, and sieving the sludge, pigments can be formed.
These colours can then be used to dye textiles, but Kucerenkaite also created a ceramic glaze which is non-toxic, unlike many common glazes. The project Ignorance is Bliss uses only waste-created pigments to colour their tiles and each finished item is completely unique. They are suitable for use on interior walls and their individual and hand-crafted look is completely on trend, as is the company’s sustainable ethos.
A new post for Diary of a Tile Addict, May 2019
