Vetrazzo is a company based in

Tate, Georgia Tate is an unincorporated community in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. The Georgia Marble Company and Tate Historic District in Tate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district is centered on GA 53 betwee ...

, United States. This patented process takes industrial waste in large quantities and transforms it into sturdy 9' by 5' polished slabs.

History

Vetrazzo recycled glass countertops were invented in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

in 1996. A materials scientist, Don McPherson, pursuing his PhD combined recycled glass and a cement binder to create a sustainable, polished countertop. The company at that time was known as Counter Productions. The production batches were small and handmade, demanding a more streamlined and repeatable process. In 2006, a former customer and designer named Olivia Teter was looking for a new project and found the company in financial straits. She, together with James Sheppard and Jeff Gustafson, partnered to raise capital, buy the product formula and assets behind the Vetrazzo countertops, and co-found what is now Vetrazzo LLC. The Vetrazzo manufacturing facility was located in

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.

in a recycled

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

assembly plant. The plant is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and hosts the

Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new ...

Museum. It utilizes

daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...

, controls air pollution with a special negative-pressure dust booth, recycles water and hosts a 1 megawatt solar system manufactured by building tenant Sunpower Corporation. In June 2010 Polycor acquired Vetrazzo and move the plant back Georgia where it now shares a manufacturing space with the Georgia Marble company.

Environmental record

Vetrazzo claims on their website that their countertops consist of recycled glass and a cement binder. The glass is said to have been sourced from a curbside recycling program, windows, windshields, laboratory glass, stained glass and traffic lights. Vetrazzo's website also claims that their countertops are recyclable at the end of their useful lives. The company states that they are proud of their sustainable work, being a member of the

United States Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

, a certified

B corporation In the United States, a benefit corporation (or in several jurisdictions including Delaware, a public-benefit corporation or PBC) is a type of for-profit corporate entity, authorized by 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, that include ...

, a certified Bay Area Green Business and a member of the Green Chamber of Commerce. Vetrazzo's website also claims that they are committed to providing

green jobs Green jobs (green-collar jobs, sustainability jobs, eco jobs or environmental jobs) are, according to the United Nations Environment Program, "work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and serv ...

to the low-income neighborhood surrounding their offices and plant. All employees, including factory workers, are said to be provided with health care and full benefits. All Vetrazzo slabs are manufactured in the United States.

Awards and recognition

Vetrazzo was awarded a significant grant from the California Department of Conservation in 2006 and 2008 as part of a program to expand markets for recycled beverage containers. Vetrazzo is also an

Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

Award Winner.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official homepage
Companies based in Contra Costa County, California Companies based in Pickens County, Georgia Glassmaking companies of the United States Recycled building materials