Your Guide To Green

Hundreds of thousands of glass bottles are being "saved" each year from recycling centers and trash dumps and transformed into uniquely stunning glassware by Green Glass Inc. Simultaneously cleaning and beautifying the environment, Green Glass uses a patented process to help the world look at life through "green" colored glasses!

Founded in South Africa by Mara and Sean Penrith and Philip Tetley, Green Glass, Inc. began creating 100 percent recycled "art glass" in 1992. Gorgeous goblets, tumblers and vases magically evolve from what would have gone into the trash. Their products are all created with a conscience: Philip, Mara and Sean came up with the idea at a dinner party when they felt guilty about throwing away all the empty wine bottles. With no artistic background, it took several months for the trio to develop the seven step process that now takes only hours to transform glass bottles into striking art and glassware.

The seven-stage metamorphosis begins with separating bottles into two components: the head (goblet) and the base (tumbler). The neck is heatde and the mouth of the bottle flared to begin forming the foot of the goblet. The neck is then twisted shut closing it off to form the foot. The base and the head are both fire-polished and tempered to remove all the glass stresses.

From start to finish, the process takes three hours and the bottle color dictates the final hue. Consequently, Green Glass products are available in a rainbow of options and all are dishwasher safe and guaranteed.

Initially their mobile factory enabled the team to travel to African tourist destinations surrounding the local game reserves where they "cleaned up" the bottle refuse. With a mobile factory and a three-hour turn-around time Green Glass offered tourists a chance to purchase their own morphed wine bottles.

Looking at the bigger picture, Green Glass sees their business as an opportunity to eliminate waste and help create jobs, particularly in African communities. Word of mouth quickly created a demand that surprised the small company and just two years after developing the concept, Green Glass Inc. won the coveted "Business of the Year" award in 1994 and was voted one of the four best new businesses in South Africa.

Expanding from their base in South Africa, Green Glass, Inc. now has factories in Cornwall, United Kingdom and Schofield, WI. The Wisconsin site is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery that has the capacity to produce over 200,000 glasses a month. "We went from handling 12 bottles a day to handling one bottle every ten seconds," Penrith said. Today the unique glassware can be found everywhere from your neighbor's home to the banquet tables of royalty in Africa and Europe.

Even with state-of-the-art equipment, Green Glass has had trouble keeping up with the demand for its products. "From the start, demand has outstripped supply and the popularity of the glasses has grown consistently," Tetley said. "The concept was perfectly timed and in tune with growing environmental concern." Penrith explains, "It certainly helps that people know the glasses they are purchasing are recycled items and that they are doing something positive for the environment."

"As developed countries legislate stricter recycling controls," Tetley said, "Green Glass Inc. will continue to offer a resourceful, beautiful solution to an important concern."