In the heart of Philadelphia, a small company is revolutionizing the way we think about sustainability, artistry, and wedding traditions. Remark Glass, founded by Danielle Ruttenberg and Rebecca Davies, has made it their mission to breathe new life into discarded glass, transforming it into beautiful, functional art pieces. At the forefront of their innovative work is their recycled glass wedding art, which gives new meaning to the cherished Jewish tradition of breaking glass during the wedding ceremony.

Remark Glass: A Sustainable Vision

At its core, Remark Glass is committed to sustainability and circular economy principles. Their process involves:

1. Collecting waste glass from the local community and businesses
2. Sorting and processing the glass for reuse
3. Creating beautiful, functional items from the recycled glass
4. Offering these pieces to consumers, thus completing the cycle

Through their efforts, Remark Glass diverts thousands of pounds of glass from landfills each month, turning potential waste into treasured keepsakes and everyday items. Their work extends beyond just creating beautiful objects; they’re actively working to change the way we think about waste and consumption.

From Wedding Traditions to Recycled Art

One of Remark Glass’s most innovative offerings is their recycled glass wedding art. This unique service allows couples to transform the glass they break during their wedding ceremony into lasting, meaningful keepsakes. Popular items include bud vases and Kiddush cups, seamlessly blending tradition with modern sustainability practices.

Now, let’s dive deeper into the story behind Remark Glass and the visionary artist who brought this concept to life.

Danielle’s Journey: From Art School to Recycled Glass Pioneer

Danielle Ruttenberg, the co-founder of Remark Glass, didn’t start her career with the intention of revolutionizing the recycled glass industry. A graduate of Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Danielle’s path to creating recycled glass wedding art is as unique as her creations.

After graduation, Danielle dabbled in gallery work and teaching before transitioning to glass fabrication for other designers. It wasn’t until 2014 that she and her business partner began discussing the idea that would become Remark Glass.

“We started to talk about the next steps,” Danielle explains. “I moved out of sole proprietorship, like making work for other people, to say, ‘Hey, I think we can make a sustainable line of barware and lighting that would be all from recycled glass.'”

Transforming Tradition into Recycled Glass Wedding Art

Remark Glass has developed a unique process that turns broken wedding glass into functional, beautiful keepsakes. Their most popular recycled glass wedding art pieces include:

1. Bud vases: Delicate vessels perfect for displaying a single flower
2. Kiddush cups: Used for blessing wine during Shabbat and other Jewish holidays

“We wanted to keep it simple,” Danielle explains, “but create recycled glass wedding art that can be useful in the home.” This approach allows couples to incorporate their special moment into everyday life, rather than relegating it to a dusty shelf.

The Symbolism Behind Recycled Glass Wedding Art

Danielle shared her thoughtful perspective on the symbolism of their creations: “The glass having a history and the ability to be remelted time and time again… that’s what we do. We’re all recycled, we’re all about reusing the glass.”

This concept extends beyond the physical material to represent the nature of marriage itself. As Danielle puts it, “There’s a lot of stuff that we’re gonna deal with, and we have to make the best of all the scenarios and remember that you’re in it for the long run.”

Sustainability in Recycled Glass Wedding Art

Remark Glass’s dedication to sustainability goes far beyond wedding keepsakes. Through their nonprofit arm, The Bottle Underground, they:

• Collect and sort waste glass from the local community
• Divert 12,000-15,000 pounds of glass from landfills each month
• Provide workforce development opportunities for people with barriers to employment

“We use the term ‘designing to waste,'” Danielle explains. This innovative approach involves looking at available materials and asking, “What is something that would be a good product to make with that?”

Creating Recycled Glass Wedding Art

The process of creating these unique pieces involves several steps:

1. Couples purchase a breaking glass directly from Remark Glass
2. After the ceremony, the shards are carefully collected and returned
3. The team incorporates the shards into clear molten glass
4. Skilled artisans shape the combined glass into the chosen recycled glass wedding art piece

This attention to detail ensures that each piece contains the actual glass from a couple’s special day.

Beyond Weddings: Expanding Recycled Glass Art

While wedding keepsakes are a significant part of their business, Remark Glass also creates custom recycled glass art from other meaningful bottles. Danielle shared touching stories of customers preserving memories of loved ones through these creations.

“The ability for us to be able to tell that story in a simple remaking of a piece of glass is just really beautiful,” she reflects. “It’s a really invaluable thing, and I feel really blessed to be a part of those stories.”

Unexpected Social Media Success

Danielle found herself navigating the world of social media marketing with both excitement and trepidation. “I had a moment a couple of years ago when I was before I really understood what TikTok was,” she laughs. On a whim, she asked her newly hired marketing manager to repurpose their Instagram content for TikTok.

To their surprise, a simple video about de-labeling bottles went viral, garnering millions of views. This unexpected success led to a significant uptick in interest and orders, presenting new challenges and opportunities for the small business.

“The crazier part of that was the amount of DMs that we needed to respond to and the communications level and how it increased,” Danielle recalls. “We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re missing communication. We need to schedule ourselves because it’s not like I have a call center that’s responding to stuff.'”

The Future of Recycled Glass Wedding Art

As Remark Glass continues to grow, Danielle envisions expanding their impact on glass recycling and sustainability on a larger scale. “If we can actually fix a simply broken recycling system here in the U.S. and turn it into a circular system at scale, that would be my major goal,” she shares.

In the meantime, the company continues to innovate, exploring new recycled glass wedding art products and partnerships while staying true to their core mission of sustainability and meaningful design.

Conclusion

Remark Glass is more than just a glassware company – it’s a pioneer in the field of recycled glass wedding art, born from Danielle’s passion for creativity and sustainability. By transforming broken glass into beautiful, functional pieces, they’re helping couples preserve their special moments while contributing to a more sustainable future.

Are you planning a Jewish wedding and looking for unique recycled glass wedding art to commemorate your breaking glass moment? Visit Remark Glass.com to explore their wedding keepsake options and learn more about their sustainable practices. Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes glimpses into their fascinating creative process!

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