bottle-boys-post-2-1-300x171
campaign

“Singing” glass bottles inspire millennials to recycle 

1 min

experience-banner-300x167

5 Ways To Use Glass For Your Halloween Decorations At Home

With Halloween right around the bend, we’d like to share 5 ways to use glass around the house for your decorations. Nifty, crafty, and sometimes outright spine-chilling, these ideas will leave your house ready for the big day – the 31st of October!

2 min

international-year-glass-banner-300x167
campaign

Join us in celebrating the International Year of Glass 

1 min

5-ways-you-can-help-close-the-glass-loop-e1725898153863-300x151

5 ways you can help close the glass loop

We all have a part to play in building a more sustainable world, starting with how we shop, all the way down to how we get rid of our rubbish. This summer, organisations involved in all stages of the glass collection and recycling value chain have launched Close the Glass Loop – a major glass recycling action plan for Europe.

3 min

About Friends of Glass

Friends of Glass is a community that supports all things glass packaging, as part of a more intentional lifestyle that starts with our everyday choices.

Learn more about us

Why Glass?

Learn why we love glass, and why we’re dedicated to promoting its numerous benefits to people all over the world.

Learn more about why

Take Action

Join a growing community of people who care about a better planet and a healthier lifestyle.

Discover more

Stories

Hear stories from the community, and discover all the reasons why choosing glass is better for us, as part of a more intentional lifestyle.

Learn more

The history of glass is rooted in many countries all across Europe. Spain in particular, has a little-known but well-established partnership with glass; and continues to nurture this passion for glass working.

While Spain may be well known as contributors to the food and wine industry; did you know that Spain and glass also have a long-standing and impressive history?

The Royal Glass Factory of La Granja is a perfect example of the significance of the glass industry in Spain. Built at the end of the 18th century, today this 25,000 square metre factory has been restored to its original glory, and is used as a museum and a glass manufacturing school to help promote the tradition of glass making in Spain.  A wealth of eye-catching pieces from the eighteenth and nineteenth century are on display in the museum – as well as live demonstrations. Patrons can get up close and personal to modern-day craftsman while they work on pieces taken from a furnace heated to 1,500 degrees!

Spain’s Mediterranean culture greatly contributes to its close relationship with glass. Wine and olive oil have been equally important pillars of both ancient and modern day Spain. Glass is the ideal packaging for both of these products due to its impermeable qualities that help lock in the sunny Spanish flavours for people to enjoy all around the world. Did you know that the wine industry alone uses almost half of the total amount glass produced – which is about two million tonnes annually?

Next time you’re in Spain, visit The Royal Glass Factory of La Granja. You’ll not only learn more about glass, but you’ll be able to see how history comes alive! That way, the next time you’re sipping on your favourite glass of rioja while nibbling on tapas drenched in olive oil, you can appreciate the bottles they came in as well!

Related posts

View all articles

Discover how you can make an impact

From how we live at home to how we show up for the planet, our everyday choices can be the starting point for a more sustainable future.

Take action now