Enviroglas Turns Trash into Terrazzo
In blacks, browns, greens and blues, there is something beautiful about sparkling shards of broken glass – but they seem unlike candidates for creative upcycling. Companies like EnviroGLAS, however, have not only found ways to dull the sharp edges of shattered glass fragments but have also come up with aesthetically ingenious ways to integrate into interior design materials and surfaces.
Some of these products combine glass and porcelain into small planks that can be used as floor tiles and laid out in a variety of patterns. Others are left as crumbled aggregate and strewn about like gravel in exterior applications. Still others are made into colorful patterned floors, or large surfaces for single-piece recycled glass countertops.
The result, at a glance, is a kind of granite-style patterning that can be tweaked into any number of creative color combinations to match other colors and materials in a room or even create a mural-like artistic composition.
EnviroGLAS also has products that reuse material from old sinks, toilets and tubs for various kitchen, bathroom and public space surface uses. The company boasts that it “turns trash into Terrazzo,” the retro yet newly fashionable flooring material with a speckled look.
“Terrazzo flooring has a long and rich history that dates back over 1500 years. Terrazzo, from the Italian word for terraces, is one of the original recycled products – created centuries ago by Venetian workers utilizing the waste chips from slab marble processing. Today terrazzo flooring continues to provide the ultimate in low maintenance and durability, typically lasting the life of the building.”
“Combine that with the lower cost and environmental advantages of EnviroGlas crushed glass aggregate and it is easy to see why Terrazzo is undergoing a Renaissance. The time is right for a product that truly makes the world a more beautiful place.”
“EnviroGLAS Products, Inc. was the first company in North America to offer a variety of post-use recycled glass and porcelain aggregate for decorative use in Terrazzo flooring. Since 2002 the translucence of glass has continued to create a dazzling effect, and its durability has proven true in numerous completed projects. From airports and schools to office buildings and coffee shops, recycled glass and porcelain has become the next big thing in Terrazzo.”
