Sustainability at Gather
Glassmaking is an energy-intensive process - the furnace runs continuously through production weeks, and there is no getting around the heat required to work molten glass.
We don't pretend otherwise. What we can do is make considered decisions about how that energy is sourced, how materials are used, and how waste is handled. That is what we are working on.
Energy
Our main furnace is electric and runs on renewable energy. We also designed a reheating furnace that serves two workstations simultaneously - a practical decision that significantly reduces the gas required to keep glass workable at the bench. Every making session is an exercise in efficiency by necessity: heat is never wasted if it can be helped.
Waste
Every glassmaking session produces offcuts, failed pieces, and leftover material. Where possible, we remelt and reuse this glass - incorporating small fragments of coloured glass into various projects rather than treating them as a byproduct.
We are currently trialling new electric furnaces specifically for reworking waste glass, with the aim of closing the loop on materials as fully as we can.
Packaging
We use recycled, biodegradable, and recyclable packing materials throughout. Glass is fragile and needs proper protection in transit - we work to ensure that protection comes from the least harmful materials available.
The Bigger Picture
Sustainability at Gather is not only about energy and materials. It is about keeping a working production glassblowing studio alive in the UK - training skilled makers, preserving a body of craft knowledge that takes years to accumulate, and building a studio that is worth sustaining.
Phoebe writes about craft, making, and the economics of running a working studio at A History of Gathering.