Co-founders Danielle Ruttenberg and Rebecca Davies are building a community that's determined to give recycling new life. And they're doing it as artists-turned-entrepreneurs.Gaffers like Connor Wisnom spend their days in front of a reheating chamber that melts the glass, allowing workers to create vases, bowls, glasses, and even light fixtures. These items can be pre-ordered or purchase at the studio in the Bok Building on the 1900 block of South 19th Street in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the duo's non-profit, Bottle Underground, is busy collecting, cleaning and packing up glass containers for other small businesses. People like Melissa Torre, who owns Vellum Street, come every few weeks to pick up vessels for their products. They also collect glass from their neighborhoods to give back to Bottle Underground. It's a closed-loop cycle, all with the goal of keeping glass out of landfills.