Let’s Talk About Sustainability
Sustainability has always been an integral part of Churchill’s culture so we’re delighted to start talking about it with the launch of Our Sustainability Journey.
Our customers are looking for the most eco-friendly crockery options, and at Churchill there’s some exciting initiatives underway and in the pipeline to reduce our corporate footprint, as we work towards a sustainable future.
When we began developing Our Sustainability Journey, as a marketing team we were emboldened at how entrenched the commitment to reuse - reduce - recycle is throughout our manufacturing operation.
Starting with our clay that is responsibly and locally sourced from Devon and Cornwall, our transparent supply chain means our customers can rest assured that our processes are considered from clay to plate. In fact our clay material suppliers describe themselves as ‘stewards of the environment’, actively preserving and restoring local biodiversity.
Touring the factory with our dedicated Environmental Officer, he explains how once our clay arrives onsite it’s regarded as a precious resource, with all raw process clay recycled back through the manufacturing process. Our internal circular economy isn’t perfect yet, but it’s almost there. A centrifuge system separates water and waste clay so that the clay can also be reclaimed. Any oversprayed glaze is also collected, then cleaned down to be recycled. Furthermore any fired samples that fail quality control are diverted from landfill and recycled into building materials.
As an energy intensive business, at Churchill we’re doing everything we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and in 2019 we first started investing in solar energy. Now we have over 4500 solar panels on the roof of our UK manufacturing site. Every month the Energy Team meets; a group from various areas and levels of the business, to continuously drive energy saving initiatives.
The initial launch of our sustainability messaging is merely the beginning, as we work towards a sustainable future we hope to take our customers along the journey with us, continuing Churchill’s commitment to transparency and trust.