Circular Clay Teacup

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Recycling the waste material of a single-use cup made of clay

Kolkata, the city in West Bengal, India, where a small, disposable teacup made of low-fired clay is part of the daily food culture for many generations. There, they call the cup Bhar [baːɐ̯] which is popular for its special muddy, earthen aroma, experienced when drinking chai at street stalls throughout the city.

Until today, Bhar is made in the ancient way by established potter families, is used once for reasons of hygiene, and disposed of as a biodegrading eco waste.

With the variety and advantages of industrially produced disposables, the traditional clay cup has been gradually pushed out of the market over many years.

In 2019, Indian Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced his contribution to the sustainability goal of making India plastic-free. He declared an approach to avoiding large amounts of plastic waste at railway stations in India by replacing teacups made of synthetic materials with traditional clay cups.

The single-use teacup is handmade by local potters and used to serve chai at street stalls throughout the cities in India.

Initiative #ZeroWaste

The first step of the policy approach was to provide 5 million more clay cups at Indian railway stations and replace plastic cups. 5,000,000 cups equal an estimated amount of 170 tonnes of low-fired clay in India every day. Around 60,000 tonnes of undervalued waste material in a year.

The initiative to efficiently close the cup’s life cycle would have a positive impact on the environment as well as equality for the potter families and their business, preservation of cultural heritage and a concept that intervenes in the current waste habits of consumers.

Grinding low-fired clay into a fine powder and mixing it with raw clay to support stability and quality of the resource.

Recognising a new value for wasted cups

Hanne collected used cups and began experimenting with the ceramic waste. She purified the discarded cups by simply firing them again and ground them into a fine powder that she added to wet clay. The trials demonstrated that the material blend can be processed in the traditional way and has the advantage of increasing the quantity of the raw material and allows for optimising the strength and stability of the clay during turning and firing.

The collection of built-up cups, turned bowls and vases, and moulded plates is made in cooperation with a ceramic designer and is low-fired at 900 degrees Celsius. The tableware visualises the material and manufacturing possibilities and implies the sensorial aesthetics of the original. The development of the collection clarified that the discarded material can be fully recycled and effectively returned to the production of the cup.

Collection made in cooperation with ceramic designer Marcus Paulus. Stills made by @JuleBreiert.

Hanne Viehmann, a German designer and graduate of the MA, MSc Global Innovation Design programme at the Royal College of Art and the Imperial College London, has researched about the socio-cultural and environmental impact of the clay cup in Kolkata and analysed its multifaceted product and material characteristics. Her motivation was to integrate the more sustainable goal of zero waste with the challenge to customise a closed life cycle for the single-use teacup made of clay.

"I was intrigued by the simplicity of Bhar and travelled to Kolkata to talk to potters, tea vendors, drinkers and local politicians about its values and global impact."

Hanne Viehmann