| Project/Area Number |
22K18139
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 90010:Design-related
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
Salani Giorgio 東京工業大学, 環境・社会理工学院, 特任助教 (90902205)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
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| Keywords | ceramics / Life Cycle Analysis / Handmade pottery / Sustainable pottery / Literature review / studio pottery / Sustainable ceramics / Life Cycle Assessment / sustainability / life cycle / craft |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
This research will design and implement a platform to prototype and communicate sustainable innovation in handmade ceramics. Merging quantitative and qualitative analysis, the study is informed by a Life Cycle Assessment, material experiments, firing tests and interviews with practitioners.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In line with its initial aims, the study has produced: (1) the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of studio ceramics, conducted with Prof. Xiaoyu Yan of Exeter University (UK). Making 1kg of pottery mugs is responsible for 3.24kg of carbon emissions (Damage category = Climate change). In the workshop analysed, energy accounts for 73.8% of carbon emissions, with 46.8% due to the kilns for firing the ceramics and 21.2% to run the studio, equally split between lighting and heating. Notably, the plastic-free packaging material chosen by the pottery to reduce their impact on the environment was instead responsible for 18.6% of the emissions, while the materials used to make the mugs produced less than 6%. (2) a systematic critical literature review on sustainable pottery practices worldwide. The study screened 115 documents and fully reviewed 84 English-language specialist books, articles, and blogs (in press). (3) sustainable studio materials. The study was informed by systematic tests of sewerage solids (in collaboration with Cross Lab at Tokyo Tech), recycled glass and commercial waste wood ash. (4) firing tests with biodiesel was replaced by woodfiring experiments in 2024 at a kiln in Hyogo prefecture. (5) interviews with practitioners to assess feasibility. The study included visits and interviews with potters in Mashiko, Tochigi, and fieldwork in the UK to collect data and validate results from the study. (6) public and academic discussions and dissemination through publications and events, including 3 talks, 2 academic articles (ongoing) and 1 chapter (in press).
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The study has successfully delivered on its initial aims with some adjustments. The research led to two major contributions to knowledge in the field of sustainable pottery: the first Life Cycle Analysis of a studio pottery workshop worldwide and the first systematic critical review of 20 years of literature. These primary aims were completed and disseminated through talks, conference papers and a book chapter. Further dissemination is currently ongoing (academic papers, panel discussion, research website).
The collaboration with Prof. Cross on biodiesel was interrupted due to a PhD student leaving the lab, and replaced with experiments with woodfiring with alternative fuels and methods to be conducted in Hyogo in 2024. The study is also informing the new Kaken research by the PI.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The PI continues to conduct research in this field, also as part of a new Kaken study. In addition to their academic importance, the findings are directly informing the building of a new Leach Pottery studio as part of the redevelopment of the site.
The study is now informing the next research project “Assessing the Sustainability of Best Available Technologies (BAT) for Craft Ceramics” to be carried out in 2024-27. The new study will build on the results of the analysis conducted to date through further LCA studies, material experimentation in the workshop set up at the university, interviews with practitioners and ethnographic fieldwork.
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