From waste to table

Tasmania punches above its weight in dining experiences, but that also means a significant volume of restaurant waste. Seafood shells and eggshells, glass, bones. It all adds up. 

For a recent ceramics commission with Dier Makr, one of Hobart’s most beloved fine diners, I looked no further than their own kitchen bin. Abalone and oyster shell, eggshell and wine bottles, all waste from their dining service became raw material for a range of custom glazes. We crushed, refined and fired it all into surfaces that now hold their curated dishes.

There’s something satisfying about taking what would’ve been tossed and returning it to the table in a new form. Waste becomes the vessel that carries the next meal.

Every element in these glazes came from within 2km of Hobart. Shells from the kitchen, rocks from Knocklofty, bottles from the back bar. 

Eggshells alone account for around 30,000 tonnes of waste in Australia each year. They might be small, but they don’t break down in landfill. Like other calcium-rich materials, they sit there indefinitely and as they rot release methane gas. The same goes for oyster and abalone shells, which are often discarded despite being chemically useful.

From a ceramics perspective, these materials are all rich in calcium carbonate (essentially whiting). Because I work mostly with matte surfaces, I can use these materials as a straight swap. Same results, more interesting story. The abalone (with its mother of pearl qualities) adds a kind of texture and speckle you don’t always get with commercial materials.

This commission was an experiment in closed loops and close attention. It’s a reminder you don’t have to look far to find beauty. Sometimes it’s already underfoot, or in the compost bin.

If you’ve got a ceramic practice and want to learn how to work more sustainably and locally, I run Rock & Waste workshop at my Hobart studio. It’s hands-on, fun, and open to anyone ready to experiment.