Art of Eco. A model of innovation via sustainability for the ceramics industry.
Over the last 25 years, we have been involved in pushing the industrial envelope in the linear world of the global ceramic industry.
A world in which the ‘TAKE – MAKE - WASTE’ ruled and still rules.
Because of the state our world is in, we decided some years ago to lead by example and go all out on the transition toward more sustainability and embrace a more circular use of materials and develop our process and its resultant products.
Not simply talking about it, but doing it.
Art of Eco was created, it is our attempt to move from linear to circular value chains of specific materials, which as meant reimagining those value chains, and complementing them from end – of – life products to re – entry into the same or other applications and if necessary, after suitable conversion steps.
This long and arduous journey meant that we needed to re- imagine so many areas of our art, to allow us the free use of this valuable resource on the material we had created, and fulfil the artistic style, design, and quality of the products we were attempting to replace.
Throughout the development period, we spoke to retail outlets, and old customers to see what they thought of this new product, revealed our product portfolios in their many forms, in many different marketplaces, to many customers. Shared our business model with many, many of whom were simply not willing to support change of this nature or did not understand. However, and despite Brexit and the pandemic we have found collaborative partners on mainland Europe, in the form of Triple Helix, our collaborator based in Belgium, and the route for Art of Eco International, into a global market.
At the end of the day, our ambition is to offer a license to use Art of Eco’s eco technologies as a service for others to embrace and to change the way ceramic tile is manufactured globally. Removing the endless cycle of massive energy usage, raw material wastage, and the generation of vast amounts of pollution, and put in place a more circular value chain of recycled aggregates, and circular economy derived chemicals to recreate these products in markets around the world.
In short, we decided to actively contribute and take matters into our own hands, because we could already see the consequences of a 1oC in global warming, let alone the 2 to 3 spoken about. In addition. Pollution and biodiversity challenges pose immediate threats, so we are determined to participate, share our attempt at ‘being eco’ by turning Art of Eco into a pivotal piece in this collaborative jigsaw we find ourselves in, helping to generate a turning point to help safeguard our planet and its future generations.
Our mission.
Becoming a global reference on how to make companies in the ceramics industries sustainable and circular by doing it.
The goal is to have a genuine impact on transitioning towards a more sustainable economy.
By focussing on the creation of similar products for the ceramic tile, natural stone, and cementitious product sectors, and promoting this out into the global markets where these products are manufactured, and returning to a more localised manufacturing model, using locally available stone and aggregate waste streams. Hence removing the mining and haulage of raw material and minerals, and the logistical journey associated with the delivery of such heavy finished products, this coupled to the total lack of energy associated with the adoption of Art of Eco’s manufacturing technologies, will re - energise this whole global market.
We can substantially reduce the overall carbon footprint in this industry sector, in an economical and profitable way.
To each of us at Art of Eco, this is not just a company mission statement, it’s a personal burning desire.
Who is Art of Eco?
We are a British company, manufacturing in Wales, a unique Eco-Slabstone material.
This unique material is made into products for interior hard surfaces such as wall and floor tiles, kitchen splashbacks, and many other home interior and exterior items. The combination of our innovative and robust ‘eco’ material, coupled to our many years of experience in art and interior design, provides our customers with a vast choice in colour, themes, or styles, with our in-house design team led by Julie and Paul Langston [Founders of Art of Eco] are always available for the creation of bespoke work, or special commissions.
The idea of Art of Eco come about during the 1990’s when we were producing hand painted ceramic tiles at our large studio facility in North London. At a certain point in time, we decided to pursue a green future, and look toward the creation of a more sustainable product. Evidence of changes to the environment and constant snippets of news about global warming focused our attentions. We realised from our own overview of the market and its material usage that change was required. The name ‘Art of Eco’ was partly inspired by a ‘Ted Talk’ on “The Art of Being Eco” presented by Natalie Jeremijenko and its strong message to try and work for change and to work towards a greener future.
As art had been the basis for every part of our journey the name “Art of Eco” seemed to fit. We did not want to be one of those companies that ‘Green wash’ the facts, we looked to create a true low carbon alternative to a ceramic tile. Over the next two decades we defined, refined and developed a product that we knew could take its place alongside traditional product from the ceramic industry, yet has extremely low carbon emissions, as there is no heat/kiln required in our process as our material is cold cured. By utilising the ‘
Circular Economy’ ethos, we could provide a ‘true’ alternative to the mass produced ceramic tile, including their installation. We embraced readily available local stone and aggregate waste streams, and realised that other stone and aggregate materials and our transferable technology could be adopted globally by others.
The Material and the Product.
Our background in manufacturing products, along with our passion to create decorative art pieces led us to create a cold cure (no heat used in its manufacture), extremely low carbon, alternative to the ceramic tile. To achieve this, we used clean waste and recycled aggregate materials to create a sustainable and near carbon neutral alternative product to a traditional ceramic tile, and natural stone materials.
Since then, we have come a long way, the journey is still with it’s challenges, but now with a product made up from 93% recycled stone aggregate, sourced from clean waste, and recycled streams from local Welsh facilities and Quarries, it’s literally ‘bound’ together with a remarkable sophisticated binding agent, that in its next development phase will become carbon neutral, as we move toward and develop ‘plant based’ bio binders.
Development was slow, funding was difficult to find. When we were finally sure we had a concept that could be made into a product we begun the initial trials, attempting to create a product in a domestic Kenwood mixer, with small 10cm square moulds with a rolling pin to form a small tile. With a great deal of trial and error, time, effort, emotion and cost we produced our first cold cured low carbon tile.
We can produce large stone pieces up to a maximum size of 2.2 meters by 1 meter and ranging from 12mm to 20mm thick. From there all our other products can be cut from these large-scale stone pieces, all waste dust from cutting can be put back into our mix, giving us essentially a zero-waste manufacturing product.
The largest stone slab pieces we produce can be decorated and used as wall decoration slabs. Robust and strong our products truly look and feel like Ceramic tiles, just on a larger scale.
We reproduce our Art using a ‘state of the art’ digital flatbed printer. All original art is still lovingly produced by hand, drawn by us using age old techniques. By using our large flatbed printer the artwork is reproduced with an unerring accuracy and printed directly to the stone surface, achieving a mechanical bond with the stone surface, which also allows the texture of the stone to appear through the print, giving each piece a truly handmade, individual and unique feel.
The finishing of the product results in a gloss, matt or satin finished topcoat being applied to suit different product requirements. The products are water, heat and wear proofed so they can be specified for use indoors, on both wall and floors. They are durable and can be cleaned easily. We offer a cut or chipped edge depending on customer preference and with each being hand crafted no two will ever be the same, even if the same digital art is applied. The stone tells a tale, its contours and textures weave an individual tale into each stone piece that only the customer who owns the final piece will ever truly appreciate.
The Art and Design
Utilising our many years of experience manufacturing and producing hand painted decorative ceramic tiles, we have continued to grow our craft by producing our art onto our Eco Slabstone product. We have been able to create a product that can be used in many similar roles that the ceramic tile can be used like kitchen splashbacks, bathrooms, floors, living areas, swimming pools and feature walls for both domestic and commercial interiors. Top end design and decoration has always been our forte and passion. Our earlier work in ceramics was always applied by hand, using brushes, sponge’s, stencils, using coloured enamels (with a team of in-house artists of 25 people). The ceramic tiles required firing in kilns at very high temperatures to be manufactured. Those same skills are now being applied to our Eco Slabstone product, but now we embrace digital technology, using a hybrid combination of traditional artists skills and digital drawing applications via a computer. Printing directly onto the stone, still achieve the same level of detail and craftsmanship better the original ceramic tiles with our art, giving us a truly unique style.
We are constantly evolving our art and design, refreshing old ideas and keeping a steady flow of new and exciting work, we look to cater for all sorts of tastes and requests for our customers, produce them to the highest quality, partnered with our bespoke services.
The Company
We are a family business, and our ambitions reinforced and achieving through a close family bond, together is stronger, and it’s a philosophy that has allowed us to continue and create our Eco Slabstone product.
We, Paul and Julie Langston have together both in business and marriage for 40 years. With the combination of Paul’s Illustration and Graphic design qualifications and family manufacturing background, paired with Julie’s credentials in Industrial/Studio Ceramics and her family’s entrepreneurial experiences in retail. The introduction both our sons (George and James Langston) as young blood are intrinsic parts of the business and its future.
Our Green Statement
When we began this journey, the threat of global warming, and its impact on the World was something whining away in the corner of everyone’s consciousness. Some years on from the decision we took to create this product, the need for it, and its adoption has never been greater, and our attempts to be ‘green’ and to follow and believe in our product have never been greater. It’s been a struggle folks – but its our commitment to a better, greener future, for our children and their children.
Working with others
For us it’s always been important to work with others, be it a customer or organisation, it’s all about collaboration. It’s very exciting to use 3rd party design and turn their influences and ideas into designs, we always try to go above and beyond with clients to ensure the product they desire is to their specification.
Be it as simple as moving something in a piece of art, or producing something in a specified way, we always want to make sure the product is right for you. Over our many years we’ve worked with some incredible, talented and driven organisations, and some amazingly creative individuals, to see their art come to life on our product and bring their view to life on our stone. Individuals with specific visions and desires to complete their homes finished with a piece of Eco Slabstone, as mentioned previously the stone tells its own story, and combined with the art and dreams of those we work with, the story of the stone is far more personal, and all the time they help contribute toward being the ‘Art of Eco’.
Future Goals
Our futures are all intertwined and inexorable linked. Great global changes will need to occur for us to save our planet from an extremely uncomfortable future, yet together it can be done, providing we are all prepared to alter some of our historical means of producing consumables. The ceramic tile industry is one of many which needs to change, and Art of Eco, is at the forefront of this change, but we are an extremely small cog, in a global behemoth, and it all has to begin somewhere….and with your help it can begin here, and our message of change can be heard with your support. When choosing your next bathroom tile, your kitchen splashback, just stop and think that your choice could be changing the planet – be part of it, be part of the Art of (being) Eco.