Ever heard of Fire and Light Glassware? They make some of the most beautiful glass products in the United States. What’s even more thrilling is that they make their products from recycled glass.
This special glass company is no more as they stopped production in 2019.
What happened to Fire and Light Glass? Why are their products special and how can you identify them?
What Is Fire and Light Glassware?
Fire and Light Glassware is a company birthed by the union of the Arcata Community Recycling Center in Humboldt County, California, and a group of nearby investors who saw the need to develop an innovative plan for using crushed glass. The aim of Fire and Light Glassware was to create beautiful recycled glasses from waste.
The company was founded in 1995 and made use of glass wastes just sitting around. The amount of glass waste produced yearly at the time could fill the Empire State building twice, so there was an actual need to be intentional about using the waste.
Often, people do not like using recycled products because they look and feel secondhand. The major aim of Fire and Light Glassware was to recycle glass wastes so that they look new and beautiful enough that people cannot resist the temptation of buying them.
Fire and Light Glassware made a lot of glass products and in no time, their products were in over 1000 stores.
Why were Fire and Light Glassware products so special? Why are they still special? Continue reading.
Why Are Fire and Light Glassware Products Special?
Here are some reasons why Fire and Light Glassware products were (and are) so special:
1. Use of Waste Products
In time, people started to appreciate the use of waste products to make beautiful products. Instead of filling our oceans with glass waste, why not reuse them to make more beautiful products? More people who previously refused to use recycled products have become more intentional about the Earth.
Fire and Light Glassware’s major aim is to recycle glass products, so anyone who aims to remove waste from the Earth will naturally agree with Fire and Light Glassware and purchase their products. In time, more people started searching for recycled glass products in stores.
2. Reduced Use of Natural Resources
The beauty of recycling wastes is that aside from making beautiful recycled products, we get to consume less natural resources from the Earth.
With a rise in the demand for recycled Fire and Light Glassware products, a drop in the demand for sand and other natural resources used in making glass followed.
The Fire and Light Glassware Company knew this and made many campaigns to let people know about the advantages of buying their recycled glasses. In time, more people who were intentional about the Earth’s safety switched to Fire and Light Glassware products.
3. Partnership and Diversity
Something special about Fire and Light Glassware products is that the partnership involves a lot of glass professionals, so you get to see many people involved in making recycled glass products. It began as a sustainable partnership between Arcata Community Recycling Center (made of various professionals who recycle glass) and a lot of investors.
A major advantage of diversity in any workplace is that you get to see a product that matches exactly what you need because there is surely someone who thinks like you and will make a product just the way you would have wanted it.
4. Creativity and Uniqueness
Another very essential point to note about Fire and Light Glassware is that their products are mostly handmade and always unique from other brands. This means that the various professionals who recycle glass make their products the way they want and do not have to follow any major rules.
This makes Fire and Light Glassware products to be very beautiful as every worker is allowed to be creative. You get to see various colors, shapes, and sizes of many products. There is no way that you’d see some Fire and Light Glassware products without wanting to buy some for yourself.
5. Active Communities
So many people are interested in Fire and Light because they are not just a glassware brand, but also a sustainable brand. This means that if you love collecting or discussing glassware, you can talk to other Fire and Lighter buyers. If you love talking about sustainability, you can also talk to Fire and Light users.
They have a page on Facebook where you can contact other buyers. You can even search for an available product from the comment section of their post as people usually drop ads there.
6. Using the Products Is Sustainable
Buying glassware from Fire and Light is sustainable because you get to use recycled products, reduce the demand for natural resources, and reduce your carbon footprint. We need to take sustainability more seriously so that the future generation can also enjoy the Earth as we are doing currently.
How can you become more intentional when it comes to sustainability? The first step is to choose the products that you purchase. You should go for recycled products instead of those freshly made from natural resources. This is why Fire and Light Glassware is a good idea. You do agree, right?
7. Rarity
Now you know so many reasons why Fire and Light Glassware products were special. The reason they are still special till today is that there is a very limited (almost finished) stock remaining. Fire and Light Glassware stopped operations for various reasons, so their products are currently scarce.
This means that it might be difficult to find an original Fire and Light Glassware product. Even if you can find one in a store, it may be very expensive as the brand is very popular. If you can find one, you should get it, but first, you should make sure that it is original.
How do you identify original Fire and Light Glassware products? Continue reading.
Tips for Identifying Fire And Light Glass
There are usually no markings or signs in the glassware. This is because different people make the glasses based on their creativity. Here are some useful tips to identify a Fire and Light Glassware product today:
- Color: Common Fire and Light Glass product colors are green, aqua, cobalt blue, copper, plum, celery green, lavender, and twilight. If you see any bright color that does not look recyclable, it is probably not Fire and Light Glassware.
- Type of Glass: Not every type of glass is recyclable. Fire and Light glasses look and feel recycled (even though they are very beautiful), so this is another way to tell.
- Name of Brand in the Pack: If you can trust the store or seller that the brand name on the pack is correct, then you can use the name to tell if it is Fire and Light Glassware or not.
- Recommendations or Gifts: Some people have the glassware in their homes. If they give you one or tell you where you can get one, you can trust that they are correct.
- Location: If you are in Humboldt County, California, you are more likely to get some Fire and Light products in stores.
Would you like to get a product from this reputable brand? What type of glassware do you need? Continue reading to know some common types of glassware that Fire and Light made.
Types of Fire and Light Recycled Glass Products
Here are some types of products that Fire and Light made with recycled glasses:
- Soapdish
- Puka bowl
- Tumbler
- Cake plate
- Wine glass
- Glass jar
- Splash bowl
- Several shapes: For example, star and love.
- Animal shapes: Fish, snails, turtles, etc.
- Moonstone dinner plate
They surely made beautiful products. What happened to Fire and Light? Are they still in business?
Is Fire and Light Glass Still in Business?
Sadly, this company founded in 1995 stopped business in April 2019. During the recession, close to 500 stores (out of around a thousand) that sold Fire and Light products closed. This greatly affected the production and supply chain of the products as their demand crashed.
The company closed but continued to sell their products so that they can have enough money to clear some debts. Some professionals are now working independently or with other companies. Others are old and might have retired.
The bright side is that even though most Fire and Light products are sold-out, they continue to grace people’s homes as ornaments.
You can read their official closing statement here on Facebook.
Final Thoughts
If you think sustainability when looking for glassware to buy, the first brand that you might think of is Fire and Light Glassware. Even though they have stopped production, their products continue to grace the homes of people and you should count yourself lucky for having one.
Sources
- https://bluemonkeysports.com/fire-and-light-glass-how-to-identify/
- https://www.times-standard.com/2019/04/26/financial-woes-force-fire-and-light-to-shut-its-doors/amp/
- https://www.homebello.com/brands/Fire-and-Light.html
- https://sattvagallery.com/collections/fire-and-light