Transforming Ceramic Waste into TatvaMix: A Closed-Loop Innovation from Earth Tatva

Introduction: Ceramic Waste—An Invisible Problem

The ceramics industry may appear clean and artistic—but its environmental footprint tells a different story.

Globally, the ceramic sector generates millions of tonnes of fired ceramic waste annually, mostly from:

• Defective tiles

• Cracked sanitaryware. Broken tableware and decoratives.

• Scrapped labware

• Studio and educational discards

🔎 India alone produces over 100 million square meters of ceramic tiles each month source, contributing an estimated 8–12% as waste.

Unlike organic or even plastic waste, fired ceramics are inert, non-biodegradable, and impossible to decompose naturally. Once landfilled, they remain there for centuries—reduces ground recharge quantity and taking up space.

Why Fired Ceramic Waste Is a Problem

Once fired, ceramic products become chemically inert and vitrified, meaning:

• They cannot be rehydrated into usable clay

• They have consumed high energy during the firing process and natural materials sourced from mining that go waste due to the rejected product being landfilled.

• They resist decomposition for hundreds of years

These properties, while great for final ceramic products, make waste ceramics a disposal nightmare.

Traditional ceramic factories discard waste by:

• Dumping near rivers or open landfills

• Breaking and burying on-site

• Crushing into smaller grit for limited construction applications

But these approaches don’t truly recycle the waste—they only delay or relocate the problem.

That’s where TatvaMix comes in: Earth Tatva’s circular innovation that reinvents this waste into usable, high-performance clay.

Let’s go behind the scenes.

Our Process: From Ceramic Waste to Studio-Ready TatvaMix

Each batch of TatvaMix is created through a 6-step process that blends material science with purpose-driven design. Here’s how we do it:

1. Waste Collection: Sourcing From the Source

We collaborate with industrial manufacturers and ceramic factories,to collect discarded ceramic material.

These include:

• Broken and Overfired tiles, basins, and plates

• B-grade rejects from quality control

Rather than letting them be dumped or buried, we rescue them directly from landfills and factory yards.

📦 Key sustainability impact: Diverts inert waste from landfills and reduces the demand for virgin clay and minerals to be mined.

2. Pulverization: Crushing Fired Waste Into Powder

Next, the collected waste is crushed mechanically into a fine granular powder.

We use:

• Jaw crushers and pulverizers for primary crushing

• Sieves to sort particle sizes

• Mesh sieving to obtain powders <200 micron

This stage transforms the inert fired ceramic into a base material that behaves like grog—a strengthening additive that enhances strength of the TatvaMix.

3. Ball Mill Mixing: Formulating the Perfect Clay Body

The powdered ceramic waste is blended with our patented composition of:

• Natural virgin clay

• Plasticizers and binders

Using an industrial ball mill, we ensure thorough wet blending, which allows the final mix to retain both formability and firing stability.

🎯 Result: A uniform, high-performing clay body that maintains plasticity while lowering vergin clay usage by upto 60%

4. Dewatering in Filter Press: Extracting the Right Moisture Balance

The slurry from the ball mill is transferred into a filter press, where:

• High pressure extracts excess water

• Clay cakes are formed with ~20–25% moisture

• The structure becomes moldable for the next phase

This is crucial to avoid mold growth, air pockets, or cracks in later use.

🌀 Did you know? Filter pressing also helps reduce energy use in the drying phase compared to evaporation-based systems.

5. Pugging: Kneading the Clay to Perfection

The semi-moist clay is then compressed and de-aired using a pugmill.

• Air bubbles are removed via vacuum compression

• Clay becomes homogenous, plastic, and studio-ready

This is when TatvaMix becomes ready for throwing, or hand-building—depending on its final use.

👩🏽‍🎨 Artists love it because it’s clean, consistent, and adaptable across techniques.

6. Packaging: Ready to Ship, Ready to Create

Finally, TatvaMix is:

• Packaged in reusable, recyclable buckets

• Sealed for storage or delivery

From here, it travels to ceramic studios, pottery educators, and eco-conscious makers across India and around the world.

🌍 Every Kg sold = less waste in landfills and less mining from the earth.

Why This Process Matters

Metric	Traditional Clay Body	TatvaMix
Recycled Content	0%	Upto 60%
Mining Requirement	100% virgin clay	40% virgin clay
Waste Generated	Linear	Circular (zero-waste)
Environmental Impact	High	Low

According to a UNEP study on mineral extraction, mining for raw materials accounts for over 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress worldwide.

By switching to materials like TatvaMix, we not only reduce waste—but actively protect ecosystems.

Closing Thoughts: From Problem to Possibility

Ceramic waste doesn’t have to end in a dump. With the right innovation, it can become the beginning of circular creativity.

TatvaMix proves that a better material future is possible—without compromising on quality or performance.