Vetrazzo - Recycled Glass Countertops Made From Your Favorite Glass Bottles

Written by: Ricky Mak from buildaroo.com

Imagine if there were bars that used counter-tops made out of the very same bottles that hold the alcoholic beverages consumed by their clients!  This would be ideal for bars and clubs striving to reach a sustainable status.  Well, Vetrazzo makes this possible!  Chad, Vetrazzo's sales manager, spoke to our own Carmen about the make-up and sustainability of the Vetrazzo countertops.  These countertops are comprised of 100% recycled glass bound with a cement binder, rather than a petro-chemical polyester binder, so they're not using any fossil fuels when manufacturing their product.  This cement binder in the countertop is warrantied against UV fading and curing, so it's also a great alternative for outdoor use.  In addition, the company is located in Richmond, California.

Vetrazzo's booth at Dwell on Design had an amazing sample of their various tile colors.  The samples shown were made up of bottles such as Heineken, Sky Vodka, and Coke, and there were others made out of glass derived from architectural salvaged glass and shower door glass.

As far as certifying the "greenness" of their product, Vetrazzo feels that the most important things are their transparency and their life cycle analysis, which takes into account the company's overall carbon footprint.  The lifecycle analysis looks at the amount of overall energy that goes into the manufacturing of the products.  For example, Vetrazzo does not melt down their glass and they recycle their water.  They also have a recycling program where you can send them back an old countertop and they'll recycled it into a new one!  The company's goal is to use a high amount of recycled content in their product and to manufacture their products using the least amount of energy necessary.

Vetrazzo countertops come with a ten year warranty.