There are so many ways that beauty comes from waste, in a natural cycle that we’ve often lost touch with. Compost, for instance, becomes intoxicating flowers and delicious vegetables. The glassblowers at Fire & Light have recaptured the essence of upcycling with stunning gifts and dinnerware made from recycled glass. The Splash Bowl (right) is a lyrical example that comes in a rainbow of base colors with a contrast crackle.

Fire & Light was born in 1995 in a unique partnership between the community recycling center in Arcata, Calif., and a group of green-minded investors who wanted to see locally crafted products made from its discards. Crushed, recycled glass, with pigment added for luminous color, now becomes handcrafted plates, glasses and bowls sold nationwide. Fire & Light seeks other ways to use the community’s recycled products in its manufacturing facilities, for a truly local and sustainable business model.

- via CleanTechBlog