I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to write a new post, but I hope that you’ll forgive me. For those of you who remember taking final exams at the end of the semester at college, you’ll understand when I say that I just didn’t have time.
That being said, I did find something interesting the other day. Behold Vetrazzo®, the world’s foremost manufacturer of recycled-material countertops.
Vetrazzo was invented in 1996 by a passionate glass scientist in California’s Bay area. The main premise behind Vetrazzo is that it uses recycled glass and an eco-friendly bonding agent to create a hard material that is comparable to granite or marble in use and function. Each slab of Vetrazzo is unique. Recycled glass from used bottles, windshields, and even decommissioned traffic lights makes up 85% of each slab. The bonding cement even uses fly ash (a by-product from coal-burning power plants).
Since its invention almost 13 years ago, Vetrazzo has been far more successful than anyone could have expected. Even more important than the popularity and success, however, is Vetrazzo’s committment to the environment.
You see, not only is Vetrazzo made mostly from recycled materials; it is manufactured in a recycled Ford Automotive plant, Workers are all paid a living wage (no exploitation), and all material and labor comes entirely from the USA, making Vetrazzo a truly sustainable organization. It really seems like they’re trying to make the world a better place for you and me.
Unfortunately, because Vetrazzo is located in the California Bay area, I haven’t been able to see any of it personally. I understand they have distributors located all over the country; I just haven’t had the chance to look into it yet. At any rate, if you are building a new home or remodeling an old one, you should really look into Vetrazzo®. Each slab is a luxurious work of art that can help make everyone a little better off. You should Check it Out!
Two years ago, we installed a Vetrazzo countertop in our $250+K kitchen remodel. After the first 6 months the little glass pieces started chipping out of the filler especially around the edges. Now the top is stained in two places and the Vetrazzo website says this just adds to the beauty…. wrong… it just looks stained. The surface, in many places is rough where the filler is breaking down. The original company was located in California, but it has since been sold to a company in Georgia. We went back to the manufacturer and got nothing but nasty emails telling us it was our fault for not maintaining the surface properly. This is NOT the case, everything in our kitchen is BEAUTIFUL… the Vetrazzo countertop will have to be replaced. It’s definitely NOT sustainable!