PHOTOS: Stunning Recycled Glass Countertops

Americans generated 11.5 million tons of glass in 2010 – about 27 percent of which was recycled, according to the EPA. Nearly 90 percent of recycled glass is used to make new containers. But creative greenies are finding some slightly more unconventional uses for the material – filtering water, crafting jewelry and even decorating casinos.

Flint, Mich. native Tim Whaley is taking his own innovative approach to glass recycling – use it to create stunning countertops for homes and businesses.

Photo: Glass Recycled

Whaley’s company Glass Recycled mixes crushed post-consumer and industrial glass with epoxy resin to form stunning terrazzo designs for countertops, flooring and landscaping.

“The art of traditional terrazzo is difficult, costly and not very friendly to the environment,” the company said on its Website. “But with our techniques, we’re ‘upcycling’ glass that’s headed to landfills. In other words, we’re turning ‘trash glass’ into useful products.”

Photo: Glass Recycled

Most companies that use recycled glass for decor combine the material with cement to create their terrazzo. But Glass Recycled uses a unique epoxy resin, which increases color and design possibilities, the company said.

Take a close look at this sparkling terrazzo design, and you’ll notice different colors of recycled glass in varying shapes, providing a truly unique look. Each Glass Recycled product utilizes 80 percent recycled glass or porcelain, according to the company.

Photo: Glass Recycled

Glass Recycled offers more than 400 terrazzo designs to suit any room of the house, like this blue and silver pattern that’s perfect for the bathroom. The Texas-based company reuses all production waste, and all of its products can be pulverized and reutilized to make new designs.

Photo: Glass Recycled

In addition to creating materials for countertops, flooring and landscaping, Glass Recycled also helps companies turn their own glass into new products that they can sell.

“Our goal is to create a ‘closed loop’ of recycled glass, where glass continues to be reused and recycled without ever reaching a landfill,” the company said.

Photo: Glass Recycled

If you just have to have these stunning countertops in your eco pad, check out Glass Recycled for price lists, color choices and specifications.

READ: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Glass