The UK ceramics industry, once a global leader, is facing an existential crisis. It is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of manufacturing, with kilns burning at over 1100°C and producing large volumes of carbon dioxide. At the same time, the country is legally committed to achieving net zero by 2050.
The pressure is immense: reduce emissions, remain competitive, and survive in a market where production is already shifting abroad. The UK is steadily losing ceramic manufacturing capacity to countries with cheaper energy, stronger state support, and more advanced research partnerships. Unless decisive action is taken, more factories will close, more jobs will vanish, and centuries of industrial heritage will be lost.
Practical Suggestions for Cutting Emissions
The technologies and strategies to begin reducing emissions are not abstract. They exist, and many are already proven elsewhere. What is missing in the UK is implementation at scale.
1. Recycling and Reuse
Ceramic production generates significant waste in the form of rejected body material, glaze residues, and wastewater sludge. These can be reprocessed and reintroduced into production, reducing landfill and raw material demand.
- Mineralogical analysis can refine waste blends to avoid defects.
- Life-cycle assessment can quantify the carbon savings from recycling.
2. Smarter Process Control
Tiny variations in pressing, glazing, and firing create waste and inefficiency.
- Real-time monitoring, sensors, and AI-driven predictive maintenance can reduce defects.
- Digital twins can simulate production runs, helping manufacturers prevent problems before they occur.
3. Waste Heat Recovery
Kilns release vast amounts of heat into the atmosphere.
- Capturing this exhaust to preheat combustion air or dry tiles could save 10–20% of energy use.
- Modular waste heat recovery systems tailored for small and medium kilns would make the technology accessible across the UK.
4. Low-Energy Sintering
The firing stage dominates energy demand.
- Microwave and plasma-assisted sintering could reduce firing times and peak temperatures.
- Fast-firing kilns already demonstrate shorter cycles and improved efficiency in Europe.
- UK needs pilot facilities to scale these laboratory technologies for industry.
5. Alternative Fuels and Carbon Capture
Natural gas dominates kiln firing, but alternatives must be pursued.
- Hydrogen requires burner redesign and infrastructure but offers clean combustion.
- Biomass and biogas can replace a share of fossil fuels, though supply chains are uncertain.
- Electrification, when linked to renewable energy, could dramatically cut emissions.
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) must be investigated for unavoidable emissions from raw material decomposition.
The Big Question
Can the ceramics industry deliver all this change on its own?
The Answer: No
Most UK ceramic manufacturers are small to medium enterprises (SMEs). They do not have the capital to invest in unproven technologies, nor the expertise to redesign processes at the pace required. Without coordinated support, UK firms are locked in survival mode — reacting to rising energy prices and global pressures rather than leading innovation. Left to market forces alone, the result will be continued decline.
Why Academia Must Step In
This is where academic involvement becomes critical. Universities and research institutes can provide what SMEs cannot:
- De-risking innovation: Running controlled trials of new firing methods, fuels, and recycling strategies before manufacturers commit to investment.
- Providing expertise: Applying mineralogical, chemical, and thermal research to optimise production.
- Training the workforce: Preparing ceramic engineers who understand both sustainability and industrial constraints.
- Bridging policy and practice: Informing government strategies with data-driven, industry-specific research.
Without academics, the UK industry will continue to lag behind its competitors. With them, it can create a foundation for sustainable ceramics that balances climate responsibility with economic survival.
A Shared Responsibility
The UK ceramic industry cannot meet net zero alone. The challenges from fuel switching to kiln redesign are too complex and too costly for manufacturers to solve in isolation.
The question is not whether ceramics should decarbonise, but how and with whom. If academia and industry collaborate, supported by government policy, the UK has a chance to retain manufacturing while cutting emissions. If not, the decline will continue until kilns go cold and production is lost for good.
The path forward is clear:
- Industry must open its doors to researchers.
- Academia must prioritise applied, problem-driven research.
- Government must support the partnerships that make innovation possible.
This is no longer about abstract sustainability targets. It is about survival, competitiveness, and the future of a heritage industry. Without academic partnerships, UK ceramics has no realistic route to net zero or even to staying alive.