Sustainability

Respect for the planet and doing all that we can to help sustain it is part and parcel of our ethos at Artisans of Devizes. When your brand's lifeblood is sourcing and sculpting a natural product, it is impossible to be ignorant of its origins and its ability to live on and on in our homes.

Natural stone has a sustainable promise baked right in – it only gets better with age and is an antidote to throwaway consumer culture.

The body that represents the stone industry, the Stone Federation of Great Britain, have recently published several articles consolidating years of research into the whole carbon life-cycle and Global Warming Potential of natural stone compared to other flooring materials. This perspective on sustainability looks at the whole life of a project from extraction through to production, distribution and beyond. 

Formation is made using waste material that would otherwise be disposed of by the stone industry, from powder to chips of marble, granite, and limestone. We have nine colour options, suitable for indoor and outdoor application.

Terrazzo is sustainable simply because of its production and installation process. Terrazzo tiles are produced using significantly less energy and generate less carbon footprint than other tiling solutions.  Our Vinci tiles consists of 95% recycled and reclaimed marble.

Our Istria porcelain tiles are made using 40% recycled material.

Our Antique Burgundy tiles are reclaimed terracotta and can be used indoors as well as out. 

Our Antique English Sandstone paving flagstones are reclaimed, and are ideal for heritage and restoration projects.

·        Porcelain production involves mining raw materials like clay and feldspar, which are then transported to a manufacturing plant.

·        Raw materials undergo intake, storage, sorting, and mixing, along with the addition of additives like inks and glazes.

·        Further steps include forming, drying, pressing, applying images and glazes, and finally firing at high temperatures.

·        In contrast, natural stone requires quarrying, fabricating, finishing, and transport, with no additional materials needed.

·        Natural stone is Earth-formed over time, boasting durability, recyclability, and diverse aesthetics.

·        Natural stone finds versatile use indoors and outdoors, emitting no harmful gases (VOCs) for a healthy environment.

·        In sustainability terms, natural stone has a smaller environmental impact than porcelain due to minimal resource use.

·        Porcelain manufacturing consumes significant water and energy, contributing to a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP).

·        GWP measures a gas's warming effect compared to CO2, indicating porcelain's greater impact on Earth's warming.

Sustainability to us is not solely about materials and practices however, it is about giving back and protecting Mother Nature and her finite resources too. In 2021, we launched our National Trust collection – 40 tile designs all inspired by the historic sites it cares for. We pledged to donate a minimum of £30,000 from the sales of this collection each year to help preserve the charity and its efforts. On top of this, we also donate to a number of other charities including Great Bustard Group, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, RRT (Rapid Relief Team) and Julia’s House.

We also believe in championing a sustainable mindset from the inside out and have introduced two electric charging points at our Devizes HQ with four electric company vehicles joining us shortly too. 

Our accounting has moved online and we have partnered with two sustainable delivery companies as well as a sustainable food supplier. 

As well as our products becoming ever more sustainable, we have also turned our attention to waste. Artisans of Devozes sends zero waste to landfill. We use Grist Environmental at both our Devizes and Melksham sites, where the highest recycling rates possible are achieved with any residual waste being sent to Energy Recovery.  

When it comes to our inspirational brochures, we encourage our readers to download both the Artisans of Devizes brochures digitally rather than being ordered as hard copy.

For more information on our products and practices contact us or visit our FAQ page.