Until the 19th century glass was very expensive and used for limited applications, such as stained glass windows for churches. Large-scale glass manufacture began with the industrial revolution with the mass production of glass containers beginning at the onset of the 20th century and glass light bulb production automated in 1926.

The manufacture of glass uses energy in the extraction and transportation of the raw materials, and during processing as materials have to be heated together to a very high temperature. Large amounts of fuel are used and the combustion of these fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

In 1996, a glass scientist working on his PhD at Berkeley, California, got the idea of recapturing the inherent beauty of recycled glass by transforming it into a functionally superior building material. He teamed up with a Bay Area architect, formed a partnership and produced Vetrazzo, a recycled glass surface in small, hand-made batches for the local building community. Word got around about this stunning, innovative material and soon orders were coming from far away places like the Ritz Carlton hotel in Miami South Beach. Over the years, production moved from garage to warehouse to larger warehouse but capacity can’t catch up with demand.

Vetrazzo is made from recycled glass and cast concrete. The glass used is both post consumer as well as post industrial. The final product contains 80 to 95% recycled content and is as durable as granite and less porous than marble.
Its hard surface allows it to be thoroughly cleaned with ease. Their floors and tiles are among the best-tolerated by people with chemical sensitivities or chronic respiratory ailments and are extremely durable, comparable to concrete and stone.

These surfaces give us an alternative to using non-renewable resources (like virgin granite, for example), and provides a new market for recycled glass, including glass that cannot be recycled elsewhere. Even reusing glass to create bottles or fiberglass comes with a huge energy cost.

They take discarded glass like decommissioned traffic lights, windshields, used bottles and plate glass windows and transform them into works of art.
Check vetrazzo.com and take a look at exquisite countertops, tabletops, vanities, fireplace surrounds and more. Enjoy these beautiful and eco-friendly alternatives to marble and granite.