Cups made out of toxic dirt particles have been used for an afternoon tea in Glasgow City Chambers to raise awareness of air pollution.
Glasgow’s Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren was among those to sip from the “Smogware” tea sets yesterday crafted by a local potter and a team of students. The project, between ceramicist Ruth Impey and students at City of Glasgow College, aims to “make pollution visible” by turning smog into tableware.
It used particulate matter harvested on the streets of Glasgow, such as the dust pollution shed from car brakes, engines and tyres, to make the cups and saucers. The Daily Record joined Ms Impey and students back in March to help collect pollution dust in city centre from areas like Hope Street, Glasgow Central Station and the Anderston underpass at the M8.
The Smogware concept was originally developed by a Rotterdam-based duo Annemarie Piscaer and Iris de Kievith, who have backed the Glasgow scheme.
With yesterday marking Clean Air Day, the project culminated in the tea sets being presented to local chiefs at a special event in the city chambers.
The initiative also has a poignant historical dimension - with the china a recreation of the 19th century Bell’s Pottery trio, originally made in the old Glasgow firm’s long-lost factory on the banks of the canal, where the M8 now runs.
Ms Impey said: “I really liked the idea of being able to visualise air pollution. We can't see it, we're breathing it in every single day.
“And using ceramic as a way of visualising that I just thought was a fantastic idea.”
Ms Impey and students used 3D printing of the Bell’s trio to create master moulds for the Glasgow Smogware set. She added: “It was the first time we’d had moulds available to create this set since the 1860s.”
Smogware’s Dutch team has overseen similar projects all over the world, from Rotterdam and Amsterdam to London, Milan, Beijing and Jakarta.
The process involves using particulate matter to stain ceramic glaze, with the glaze meaning the crockery is perfectly safe to eat and drink from.
Ms Piscaer told the Record: “The project started with the idea to make this air pollution visible - because there was loads of data available but it’s difficult to relate to because it's so invisible.
“We decided to make ceramics and to use the dust and colourants to make it physical and tangible in the sense of, do you dare to eat from it or drink from it?”
The Smogware co-founder, who visited students in May to observe some of the moulding process, added: “It's about how to make a city liveable and accessible for their future.”
Students Keira Johnson and Robyn Speight said they hoped the project would raise public awareness around the issues of air pollution.
Ms Johnson, 17, was drawn to the project partly because of a history of asthma in her family.
She said: “It feels like air pollution is getting worse and worse. My wee brother has asthma and I used to have it when I was younger, although I grew out of it.”
Ms Speight, 18, said: “It’s quite shocking some of the stuff our Smogware is made out of and we’re hoping that makes a conversation and makes change.”
It comes as Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone came into force for all cars earlier this month.
However, it doesn’t apply to the M8 - where traffic flows over the city are upwards of 150,000 vehicles per day.
And despite recent air quality improvements, Glasgow remains Scotland’s dirtiest city.
Sophie Wills-Virk, campaign manager for air quality at Asthma and Lung UK - a major backer of the project - said: “Glasgow is one of the most polluted cities not only in Scotland but also in the UK.
“We know that over 90 per cent of schools in Glasgow fall in areas with pollution that exceeds the recommended acceptable levels by the World Health Organisation.”
Speaking at the event in City Chambers, Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren said: "Thank you all for your contribution to this incredible project - and a special mention goes to Ruth for bringing us all together and for creating such a beautiful tea trio with such disgusting materials...
"This is such an important project using the history and heritage of Glasgow's extraordinary pottery industry to challenge current thinking about air pollution."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
