Porcelain is a fragile material with lots of aesthetic varieties. It is also highly functional, almost irreplaceable too. Many items in your home are made from porcelain; look around you.
That beautiful vase from the flea market or your kitchen tiles. Chances are your toilet and bathtub are also made from this material. You can maintain porcelain items and use them for a long time, but once a crack appears, you are unsafe until you fix it or throw it out. A crack becomes a chip that can cut you or keep expanding until it becomes useless.
So, do you recycle it? Can you recycle porcelain, or is it biodegradable? Do you want to find out what you can do with old porcelain? If you are concerned about how this material affects the environment and how to play an eco-friendly role, stick around.
Can You Recycle Porcelain?
Yes, you can recycle porcelain, but not in the manner that you are used to. You cannot place old porcelain items into the same recycle bin with glass or other breakables. This is because the materials are different and must be recycled separately.
Your best bet is to reach out to your local recycling center to find out if you can bring your waste porcelain item.
Finding a recycling center that accepts porcelain may be challenging because the rate at which it is demanded in the recycling industry is lower. People are headed where the money is, and if the demand for something isn’t high, it means lower profits.
Therefore, finding a place to recycle may be challenging, but it is possible.
You can use a recycling locator to look up the nearest recycling center that accepts this material. The chances of finding are pretty slim, so your next best bet is to reach out to the local authorities for more information on how specific waste is disposed of.
Or, if you can locate a construction company, they may take the old porcelain items off your hands. This is because they have machines that can crush items as strong as porcelain and, therefore, can turn them into a newer product, like porcelain tiles or as aggregate bases for constructing roads.
If you find a place to recycle porcelain, you can prepare the items by cleaning and disinfecting them properly. Then, remove fixtures not made from porcelain before taking them to the porcelain recycling center.
But if finding a recycler proves difficult, you can consider selling the porcelain products. But that is only possible if they are still in favorable condition.
Is Porcelain and Ceramic the Same?
No, porcelain and ceramic are not the same. Porcelain has been manufactured especially to produce stronger products, and this is done by heating the clay used for manufacturing at extreme temperatures to reduce the water content. Therefore, the lower water content is why porcelain is stronger than ceramic.
They are both made from clay, but ceramic contains sand and water. The type of clay used for porcelain products is denser, making it the more durable option.
The sturdiness of porcelain makes it a better option also because it can withstand heavy traffic. It is also more resistant to wear and tear than ceramic items that become condemned once they get a chip or crack.
Kaolin clay is a very dense clay that is also called China clay, and that is what manufacturers use for porcelain items. The kiln is heated to a temperature of 1200°C, creating a porous and brittle item that lasts a long time.
However, porcelain is more expensive for these reasons. From the type of clay to the manufacturing process, porcelain is the more expensive option. It requires more heat for production, and the clay type is denser and of better quality.
That density makes porcelain items less porous than ceramic products, which also contributes to durability. Many things separate porcelain from ceramic, but the most prominent one is durability. Porcelain is stronger than ceramic because it has undergone a more prolonged moisture extraction or heat drying.
The base materials used in making porcelain and ceramic are also different; they are both clay-based, but one has a higher density.
Another notable difference is in appearance. Ceramic products have a red terra-cotta appearance, which can also be improved by color. At the same time, porcelain is usually the same plain color, making it easier to hide cracks and chips.
Can Porcelain Mugs be Recycled?
Yes, you can recycle porcelain mugs. However, curbside recycling centers will likely turn it away because their machines lack the complexity to recycle materials as sturdy as porcelain. Therefore, you may need to check for a commercial recycling center or construction site.
If your favorite mug develops a chip, it may be time to part ways soon. Porcelain mugs are renowned for their durability but are also not immortal.
However, despite our applaudable efforts at going green, not every item we use can be recycled or degraded naturally. For instance, your porcelain mug may have difficulty finding a resting place because many recycling centers will likely reject it.
And you cannot bury it somewhere hoping it will break down soon because it won’t. At best, you must find a commercial recycling center that accepts this type of waste, even if you go there often.
You can gather your cracked porcelain items and take them down there all at once periodically. Find the commercial recycling center with a recycling locator and try a construction company if you have no luck with the first option.
Recycling porcelain is significantly more challenging because of the manufacturing process for this lovely material. It goes through intense heat, which overly reinforces it; removing the moisture hardens it and makes it more technical for recycling machines to pull apart.
Can Porcelain be Used in the Microwave?
Yes, you can use porcelain in the microwave, especially if it was made after 1979; those are more heat tolerant and resistant. If you need a hot meal, don’t hesitate to use your porcelain bowls and dishes to heat it. As long as you avoid using containers made from metals, you are good!
Porcelain is a common household item. It is available in different shapes and sizes, but the texture and durability are often the same. If you excel at maintenance, you can use a porcelain bowl for many years.
Can porcelain be used in the microwave? If you don’t want to lose your precious dishes fast, you would always take caution before use.
Fear of toxic poisoning from the bowl or container used in the microwave has set many of us straight for life. Well, let’s ease your concerns.
Porcelain can be used in the microwave safely; it won’t crack or chip, and neither will it release toxic chemicals into your food or the atmosphere because of the intense heat.
When using a porcelain bowl in the microwave, ensure it lacks fixtures like plastic and metals because these materials change their form when exposed to intense temperatures. It is best to use vitrified porcelain because it is non-toxic and ensures no hazardous substances leak into your food in the heat of things.
Is Porcelain Biodegradable?
Yes, porcelain is biodegradable, but not in the sense that you may think. For an item like porcelain to break down, it does not require the presence of moisture, microorganisms, oxygen, and a suitable environment. Instead, it needs harsh weather conditions because that is the only thing that can wear it out. And get this – the process can take thousands of years, if not more.
Porcelain is a reinforced form of clay, perhaps even stronger than glass. It goes through a high temperature and a prolonged drying process before it becomes suitable for consumption.
This ensures durability and versatile use, which also prolongs its decomposition process. And even when it breaks down, porcelain never completely breaks down.
Unlike organic waste, porcelain does not get broken down to the smallest particles that later become humus. Instead, it returns to a modified version of its original clay form and mixes with the sand.
The process takes an incredibly long time, but it releases no toxins or dangerous substances into the environment before, during, or afterward.
Is Porcelain Eco-Friendly?
Not exactly. Porcelain is not eco-friendly when you consider what the concept truly implies. Porcelain is made from clay, a non-renewable resource, making this product non-sustainable. Mining has terrible impacts on the environment, but that’s the only way to access this resource.
Porcelain cannot be recycled either, which means that when it breaks, that is likely the end.
Another reason porcelain is not ecofriendly is because of the intense energy required for its manufacturing process. Porcelain needs even more heat and drying processes than ceramics.
When producing porcelain, it needs to be in a kiln heated to 1200°C for a long time, or you won’t get the desired product.
This is a significant consumption of fuel that not only depletes our reserve but also affects the ecosystem through the damaging toxins that leak into the atmosphere.
Additionally, companies that produce items like this in large quantities are notorious for their negative environmental and industrial impacts, like destroying the earth to mine clay, polluting the water bodies with chemical waste, and diluting the atmosphere with toxic fumes.
And lastly, you cannot recycle or compost porcelain. Well, you can recycle it, but it is challenging to find a recycling center. You cannot put the waste item in your compost because it doesn’t break down naturally, so it will have to sit in the landfill until it finally dissipates.
What Can I Do With Old Porcelain?
Get creative with it! That is the most engaging and stress-free way to dispose of your favorite porcelain items. If they are porcelain bowls, you can upcycle them into containers for your keys, fruit bowls, jewelry, or pretty much anything that requires storage or display.
You can turn it into a gardening tool if it is a deeper container, like a cup or vase. Use it to grow plants that will later be transplanted or for seed storage.
The options go on such that you don’t have to bother with ways to dispose of your old porcelain items.
But again, pieces like your bathtub and toilet are made from porcelain, so we must talk about that too. If they are larger items like this, the best thing is to find a construction company or contact the local waste disposal body where you reside.
Conclusion
Porcelain items are no doubt durable, but they don’t last forever, which is great because this means more 0f the various bowls and dishes to add to your collection. But again, it is expedient to consider the effects of our consumer habits on the environment. Are they eco-friendly?
Now, you can convince a friend or family about the environmental effects of porcelain and perhaps give them pointers on how to dispose of it properly!
