Glass Recovery Program

About

Founded in 2021 by Jessica Jane Julius, with inspiration from artist Frederik Rombach and initial support from Temple University’s Office of Sustainability through a Green Grant, the Tyler Glass Recovery Program was born out of a desire to reimagine waste as resource. Since its inception, the program has diverted over 15,000 pounds of glass from the landfill—glass that is now remelted, dyed, and repurposed as a sustainable material for student use in the hot shop.

At the heart of this initiative is Andrew Mahaffie, the dedicated Glass Technician whose vision, technical ingenuity, and persistence have been instrumental in designing and implementing the recovery system. From refining batch recipes to building infrastructure for sorting, cleaning, and remelting glass, Andrew’s leadership has made the program not only possible but deeply impactful. His work, in collaboration with Julius and the broader community of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates, has fostered a culture of collective responsibility and experimentation.

This program has also expanded the studio’s technical possibilities. Students now work from three active furnaces: one filled with traditional clear batch, one exclusively fed with recovered glass that is rebatched and dyed rich black, and a third lovingly dubbed the “party furnace”, a rotating mix of recovered color glass that shifts in hue and tint over time. These furnaces do more than produce material; they function as living pedagogical tools, giving students hands-on experience with color chemistry, materials science, and circular economy practices embedded within their artistic process.

The Glass Recovery Program represents a long-term commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the evolving role of the artist in addressing environmental challenges. It is a collaborative effort, a shared practice among students, staff, and faculty, that models what it means to create responsibly and with care for both material and future.

Fundraiser for Student Scholarships and Research

Building on the success of the recovery program, the Tyler Glass community has recently launched a production line of handcrafted glass cups made entirely from recovered glass. This initiative transforms studio waste into beautifully designed, functional objects that embody sustainability in both form and purpose. Produced collaboratively by faculty, staff, and students, each cup reflects the collective labor and ethos of the program. Proceeds from the sales directly support student scholarships and research opportunities, reinforcing our commitment to equity, education, and environmental stewardship. Through this project, waste is not only reclaimed, it becomes a vehicle for access, learning, and meaningful change.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these glasses, please reach out.