Sep 24 2007
In today’s market where sales of green building products are growing by 30 percent a year, every company is trying to claim that their product is “green.” The makers of Vetrazzo recycled glass countertops are redefining what it means to be green by producing the most eco-friendly surface materials on the market, and honoring the triple bottom line of “people, planet, and profit” in their everyday business operations.
Vetrazzo believes that a green product should do more than just use recycled materials or avoid release of dangerous airborne toxins - it should solve an environmental problem. Vetrazzo does just that by creating a new market for waste glass, including glass that cannot be recycled into other products. Each countertop panel is made from 550 pounds of crushed recycled glass from traffic lights, windshields, and beverage bottles. In 2007, Vetrazzo transformed over 250 tons of recycled glass - including 125 tons of waste glass not recyclable elsewhere - into beautiful, functional surface products.
News Image “Sustainability is achieved when you no longer have to sacrifice aesthetics for the good of the people or the planet,” says James Sheppard, president of Vetrazzo. “People won’t do the right thing if the right thing isn’t gorgeous.”
The company’s revolutionary commitment to the triple bottom line - serving people, planet, and profit - is the larger story.