Marloes van Bennekom

Eco-friendly ceramics. Marloes started to appreciate ceramics during her stay in Japan. The variety in colors and clay used in the ceramics fascinated her. She started to study ceramics and learned about the down side of ceramics when it comes to eco-friendliness. In a society that is producing more waste than ever before, this designer decided to look for an eco friendly approach in creating materials for ceramics.

Vegan ‘bone’ china. Marloes’ project at the Dutch Design Week, The Essence of Ceramics, focused on a specific kind of ceramic: Bone China. “What makes Bone China so special is that the material is very white, durable but very light weight. If you hold the china up to light it becomes translucent, it is very refined. But the down side of this material is that 40 to 50% is made out of bone ash from animals.” Instead of using animal bones, Marloes decided to make ‘Bone’ China, not from animal bones, but from waste. She turns waste into a valuable raw material for making new ceramics. “That’s why I feel such a strong connection with BioArt Laboratories: we care for the future and for the world around us.”