Welcome to the Glass Age

140 UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action Climate change is widespread and its affects are apparent worldwide, affecting and disrupting economies and lives. Our weather, climate and environmental conditions are changing fast. Weather patterns and temperatures are mutable, our sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events such as precipitation, drought, or flooding are widespread Substantiality is gaining considerable ground within the Art Glass community. Glass recycling can be traced back to the first Millennium AD. Today it is viewed as a sustainable material, as it is made from natural materials and if properly cleaned and sorted can be infinitely recycled. Unfortunately, recycling and processing glass is complex. Contamination and sorting are a huge problem, most glass is only considered for single loop recycling, with the majority becoming aggregate within road surfaces. When processed and disposed of in the right way glass can offer a viable alternative to synthetic materials, offering sustainable products that actively reduce our impact on the environment. This recognition of sustainable models of practice alongside discussion of its importance within Art Glass has seen a range of glass artists prioritising sustainability as part of their practice. In 2021, the Society of Glass Technology invited Colin Brain, Tyra Oseng-Rees, Hannah Gibson, Inge Panneels, Juli Bolaños-Durman and Gregory Alliss to speak on a History and Heritage panel focused on ‘Glass Reuse and Recycling through the Ages’. Colin Brain gave a fascinating keynote lecture about the historical perspective of Figure 9.1. Tyra Oseng-Rees, recycled waste glass panel, 2019, 92 x 70 x 1.5cm. Source: Johan Butenschøn Skre.