Steelite International named as SRA approved supplier for tableware

The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) has confirmed Steelite International as an approved supplier, the first tableware manufacturer to be awarded the accreditation.

The SRA said it was impressed by Steelite's dedication to sustainability, in particular its excellent recycling policy and its UK production plant in Stoke-on-Trent, which uses locally sourced materials.

SRA director Mark Linehan said: "Traditionally in the restaurant world, restaurateurs, chefs and consumers associate sustainability with the food on the plate, without thinking about the plate on which it is served.

"Tableware is a crucial part of the whole dining experience and should be given the same level of consideration."

Kevin Oakes, CEO of Steelite International, said: "We're really proud to be one of the remaining manufacturers at the heart of the Potteries, and as the largest manufacturer in the UK we take our environmental policy very seriously.

"We continually monitor and develop the way we do business to create minimum impact on the community and environment."

In 2010, Steelite received a Green Apple award for its Lamella system, which recovers clay solids from all the factory's waste water, enabling Steelite to manufacture 15,000 additional cups and saucers a week.

Picture: Mark Linehan (SRA) with Steelite's Heather Lovatt