Terracotta Industry: Dealing with Climate Change through Material Circularity

Abstract

In Indonesia, the processing of construction raw materials from industrial activity, particularly terracotta, is one of the largest contributors to climate change. This study reviews the terracotta industry in the context of their impact on climate change towards more environmentally friendly processes. The study involved the concept of material circularity as a response to prevent increases in global temperature and reduce atmospheric pollution. Terracotta, a clay-based material in the form of bricks and roof tiles, is the most commonly used building material for housing in Indonesia. Logede Village in Kebumen, Central Java, is a terracotta-producing village that has been active since the Dutch colonial era (1910-1949), and its production continues to grow until now. The purpose of this study is to review the terracotta industry process in the context of their impact on climate change towards more environmentally friendly processes. The analysis was conducted through field observation and interviews, followed by Material Reutilization Score (MRS) calculation and analysis. The result indicated some practices are considered environmentally friendly, as they use recyclable raw materials on-site and consume low electricity. However, the extraction of the raw material and the disposal of waste were not properly managed. This study recommends finding alternative aggregates to replace sand, using fly ash in the terracotta mixture to reduce the clay composition, and involving government and environmental experts to enable widespread waste management.