Classy Glass From Trash

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Laura Bergman has always seen the beauty in broken glass. As an avid collector in her native Pennsylvania, she has gathered glass for years from old dumping sites near her home. While unbroken bottles are valuable and therefore prized by collectors, broken glass is often left in the woods, where it does not biodegrade and can interfere with wildlife habitat. Earlier this year, Bergman began to see not only the innate attractive qualities of this discarded antique glass, but also its utility as a raw material, as she began to learn how to transform it into jewelry.

It all started one day in her kitchen when the sun hit a piece of broken glass at just the right angle, and Bergman remarked to her daughter, “That is as pretty as a gem; I wonder if I could do something with this.” And she did. Bergman spoke with Earth911 about Bottled Up Designs and her inspiration.

Each Piece Has a Story

Bergman gathers most of her glass near her home in Pennsylvania’s Amish country and also from glass collectors from all over the country who have heard about her efforts and bring her glass at various collection shows.

Most of the glass that Bergman uses to make earrings, necklaces, pendants and ornaments is from the last century when broken or used glass was simply discarded in the woods or dropped down the outhouse. In fact, among collectors, some of the most prized glass is known as privy glass! Bergman records the interesting tidbits about each bit of glass she gathers, and each piece of jewelry comes with its own story about where the glass was collected, how it was produced and how it was used.

Recycling a Century’s Worth of Trash

One of the best parts of her endeavor is that she has an endless supply of old glass to choose from, and thereby never needs to use new materials. Bergman says, “People often ask me, ‘Aren’t you going to run out of glass?’ I just laugh because I have every bottle produced in the last century until the ‘80s, when people started recycling, lying out there, and it all cleans up with very little degradation.”

Most of the glass that is used to make the Bottled Up creations is comprised of bottles from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bergman also finds a lot of Depression-era glassware, because this was the first time that glass could be produced in large, inexpensive quantities.

Fledgling Basement Business

Until this spring, Bergman had never made a piece of jewelry. She started by chunking up the old glass and gluing earring backs on the jewelry, which she sold at craft fairs. She got such a good reaction from people that she began to approach jewelry stores about carrying her line, taught herself how to drill and cut, and is now making jewelry with a much more finished look. It’s still all a one-woman show, though, and Bergman produces everything in her small basement studio.

Low-Impact By Design

While glass does not leach chemicals like other garbage, it does not break down and it also spreads as earth is shifted and moved. In addition to only using found glass, Bergman’s production process is also very light on the land. Her cleaning process uses no chemicals, generates no toxic waste and uses about three gallons of water each week.

Meeting a New Demand

Bergman admits to being surprised at first that there was such a strong market for recycled goods. “I have really seen a desire for people to seek out environmentally-conscious, low-impact products. People don’t want something that is pumped out of a factory; they want to feel a connection to what they are purchasing,” she says. Bergman thinks this trend will only continue as awareness about dwindling supplies of natural resources continues to increase.

Transforming a Hobby into a “Real” Business

One of the most exciting parts of the last year for Bergman has been transforming her beloved glass into jewelry for people outside the glass collecting world to enjoy. She says, “I love it when I make a finished piece. I remember the whole process, from finding the broken glass in the woods, to rubbing it with sand and towels to clean the dirt, to shaping and drilling it into a specific shape. It blows my mind how pretty the final product can be.”

She also enjoys the history of each piece as she imagines the stories of what the glass held and represented – stored food for the family for winter, or perhaps the first decorative object a person could afford. “I love the history in the glass, and I love the potential for its transformation,” Bergman says, “The history of us and our nation can be found in this glass.”

Favorite R

For someone who bases her whole business on using discarded items, it is not surprising that Bergman’s favorite “R” is “reduce.” According to her, “There needs to be less stuff to begin with; if we have less trash to deal with in the first place, the habits of reuse and recycle become much easier to implement.”