Recycling in Paradise

Hawaii, HI -On October 9, 2008, Glassworks unveiled its introduction into the sustainable marketplace with a display of recycled glass countertops at the Pacific Building Trade Show in Honolulu, HI. A unique offering of translucent, green glass cast from pre-consumer recycled shower doors, the panels range in size up to twelve feet and, depending on their use, can be up to 2” thick. The recycling project was born from a unique arrangement with one of the nation’s premier glass shower door fabricators. “As part of their quality control process, the company used to send any doors identified with scratches or small dings to the landfill,” explains Glassworks owner, Tish Oye. “Under our new program, they ship the doors directly to Glassworks.”

The tempered glass used for shower doors is a perfect “raw” element for the recycling process. When the shower doors arrive at Glassworks, they are broken up into small, pebble-size pieces. The pieces are then put into a mold and re-fired. Under the heat of the Glassworks kiln, the “pebbles” melt together to form translucent cast glass. “The end result has the same integrity and beauty of glass made from non-recycled materials,” continues Oye, “But these pieces have the added benefit of not contributing to a landfill.”

The new recycled panels are available for custom designs and are a welcome addition to builders and remodelers in the commercial and residential marketplace who are seeking to create dynamic green building offerings. The show also was an opportunity to renew relationships with colleagues including professionals from Group 70 International: Architects Hawaii; ADI Design Group Inc; and Kober Hanssen Mitchell Architects. It was also an opportunity to meet with representatives from WATG, Peter Vincent and Associates; RIM Architects and Fung Associates and discuss the future of glass in the design process.