From landfill to work of art: Glass gets new life at South Philadelphia small business
The team of 15 processes more than 8,000 pounds of glass each month. They say that's as much as a typical small town.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A small women-owned business and non-profit is combining sustainability with art in South Philadelphia.
After only a few years, Remark Glass and Bottle Underground is having a big impact. The team of 15 processes more than 8,000 pounds of glass each month. They say that's as much as a typical small town.
Co-founders Danielle Ruttenberg and Rebecca Davies are building a community that's determined to give recycling new life. And they're doing it as artists-turned-entrepreneurs.
Bottles that qualify are sorted, saved, cleaned and turned into new usable materials.
Gaffers like Connor Wisnom spend their days in front of a reheating chamber that melts the glass, allowing workers to create vases, bowls, glasses, and even light fixtures. These items can be pre-ordered or purchase at the studio in the Bok Building on the 1900 block of South 19th Street in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the duo's non-profit, Bottle Underground, is busy collecting, cleaning and packing up glass containers for other small businesses.
People like Melissa Torre, who owns Vellum Street, come every few weeks to pick up vessels for their products. They also collect glass from their neighborhoods to give back to Bottle Underground. It's a closed-loop cycle, all with the goal of keeping glass out of landfills.
Click here for more information, or to help out with the initiative.
