Although glass bottles are regularly recycled, there is plenty of plate glass from demolitions and renovations which ends up as landfill. There are some uses for recycled plate glass, which is often collected from old windows, but as there is not a regular supply, unlike bottles which are discarded every second, a recycling program is more difficult to manage. At the Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival a few years ago, I discovered the work of Lauren Becker who creates practical art glass, dishes and bowls, out of old plate glass. I own one of her multi-spiral bowls. This year I purchased two “whirlwind” plates, one in a dark glass which she told us came from the windows of the old Birkenstock factory. She’s now also sells dishes made out of traffic light glass, decommissioned in the switch to LED lights. I am thrilled to see art that is functional, reduces waste, and is beautiful even without the environmental twist.