Hurricane lantern with leather handle
Irish Whiskey glasses
Green beakers
Food cloche and rush work platter
Green beakers
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Name of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)
Glint glass studio
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URL of a video introducing the work（under 5 minutes）
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Detailed explanation of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)
Glint Glass Studio is about building community using a circular economy model
All of our products are made from waste glass material, which is why we say that our ‘glasses don’t cost the earth’. In reusing existing glass to make all of our products., we create something new while making use of waste. We work with local hotels and restaurants to recoup their waste glass, and sell our products made by our team in our online shop.
Each product is carefully designed and made to the highest standard keeping the environment constantly in mind. Using traditional glassmaking techniques in our Dublin studio, we cut, engrave and polish the glass to create bespoke housewares that are useful and elegant in design..
Glint glass studio is a social enterprise project that looks to expand the glass community by educating and providing experiences to people who want to learn about glassmaking. We teach a variety of glassmaking classes for complete beginners or more experienced artists. These include one day classes, evening classes and special outreach classes in other locations.
Our team is made up of local people, artists and individuals who are looking to join a growing community. We train and support emerging artists, or trade time with established artists who want to use our equipment in exchange.
Supporting Glint Glass Studio also supports the local community in training glass making skills and making our local community stronger. -
Keywords
reuse, glassmaking, sustainabilty
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If you have a website for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL
https://www.glintglassstudio.com/
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Special Prize Question 1: How does your project or idea make use of local resources, such as materials and knowledge, to tackle its challenge?
The production of an object brings many processes that affect the environment. The designer, but also the producer, must take responsibility for the object created. A responsibility that involves not only the production phases, but also how that product will be marketed, shipped, how long and how it will be used and, very importantly, disposed of. Each of these phases must be designed to minimise the impact on the planet. We create something new while making use of waste.
Our need to be conscious of our environment and our impact on climate change is the base line for our design choices. Sustainability of practice as well as of material is fundamental to our business. It’s important to us that what we make is useful, well designed and recyclable. We only use materials that can be reused or recycled. Teaching others to make glass is a key element on our production so while these products are being made someone is learning new skills and being employed. As a circular economy project, reclaiming waste materials, introducing new skills, building awareness of our waste, can be part of the global picture all determine our ranges and products. -
Special Prize Question 2: How does your project or idea sustain its activities through the involvement of the local community?
Our team is made up of local people, artists and individuals who are looking to join a growing community. We train and support emerging artists, or trade time with established artists who want to use our equipment in exchange.
Supporting Glint Glass Studio also supports the local community in training glass making skills and making our local community stronger.
We work with local hotels and restaurants to collect waste glass for our products and classes. This makes them aware of the waste they are creating and how they can reuse it to make something new. We also work with local collection services which brings us closer to the eco community who are interested in making a difference. We have a collection/drop off point outside the studio for local people too.
In addition to students, artists and local people we actively look to involve people on the margins of society who may be able to work with us., People emerging from the prison system, asylum seekers and other people who may be finding it difficult to be apart of the wider society. On our workshop we offer a safe and nurturing space in which to learn new skills on their timetable and pace. This is an ongoing project and important aspect of our studio practice. -
Special Prize Question 3: How does your project or idea eliminate waste or pollution while regenerating natural resources?
Our base material is waste glass.
We harvest glass that would be destined for recycling or landfill.
Glass is infinitely recyclable. Reusing is one step better than recycling.
All of our machinery runs on electricity, which we use carefully. Switching on what we need only when we need it.
All our machines require water to help keep the glass cool while we work on it. We reuse all our grey water which we harvest in buckets, and recycle 90% of the waste in our production.
Card
The card used in the shipping packaging of our products is reused from local sources. All of our inbound card is reused as outbound packaging. This is fully recyclable.
All of our outbound gift boxes are made from recycled card which is also fully recyclable.
Used paper to wrap our products is sourced from local floral businesses and recycled newsprint is also used. We try not to use any plastics but any we do use has come from another source and is being reused by us, rather than going to landfill.
Our packages are sent via the local post office. It’s important for us to use local services in this way. We cycle everywhere, so delivery to the post office is on our hard working bikes. If we can carry our glass packages on the bike then they are well packed and in no danger of breakage going through the postal service!
We offer a repair service for our glasses if they are chipped. Sometimes if the chip is too large we can recreate the glass into another product. This is important for our sustainable story and important for restaurants and other users of our products.
