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Recycled Blown Glass Ornaments |
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Glass reclaimed from bottles is sorted by color, crushed, washed, melted down, tinted, and brought back to life in the form of these beautiful, blown glass ornaments. The Recycled Glass Cooperative was formed in 1976 by former employees of an Italian-run recycled glass factory in the village of Cantel, Guatemala. The members applied for a loan, purchased land, built the factory, and constructed a heavy-duty kiln able to melt glass. The cooperative received technical and financial assistance from development organizations in the U.S. and Germany.
The partners are all owners, and there is a master-apprentice system to help new members. Profits are shared responsibly among the members. These ornaments are certified fair trade.
The mission of this Guatemalan glass blowing cooperative is the improvement of the lives of everyone in the community. The tremendous amount of heat generated in glass-making is also used to produce electricity. Crushed glass scraps are added to the raw materials for paving roads. The cooperative has established medical access for employees which is also available to other businesses in the city.
Ornaments are 3" in diameter.
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