While there are those who might SA国际影视传媒榯ake one down and pass it aroundSA国际影视传媒� if they were to encounter SA国际影视传媒榦ne hundred bottles of beer on the wall,SA国际影视传媒� chances are that Matthew Grogono, would make a unique piece of glass art with one of those bottles.

Thirty years ago, that might have been a novel idea spurred by GrogonoSA国际影视传媒檚 pioneering vision of recycling more and wasting less in Yellowknife.

Yet that creative idea became a reality one evening in 1994 when he was attending a city council meeting. He noticed everyone in the room, including the mayor and councillors, was drinking from Styrofoam cups.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd I started doing the arithmetic and it came out to like 2,000 to 5,000 Styrofoam cups per year in that one room,SA国际影视传媒� Grogono said.

He then knew he had an opportunity to become a catalyst for change in terms of how the city approached waste management SA国际影视传媒� something he described as being SA国际影视传媒渕ake it, break it, throw it away and do it again.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淎nd I remembered the K-Tel cutter, which was a popular product in 1974, and I thought, SA国际影视传媒業'm going to make a dozen glasses to give to the mayor and councillors and demonstrate how you can take something out of the waste stream, put it back in the economy, divert the use of Styrofoam and drink more water...SA国际影视传媒�,SA国际影视传媒� he recalled, adding that the gifts were well-received.

From that idea, Old Town Glassworks became GrogonoSA国际影视传媒檚 way of breathing new purpose into discarded glass.

While first started as a business, he said 30 years later it has evolved into becoming a workers' cooperative.

They make not only drinking glasses, but also bowls, vases, lamp shades and even soap dispensers, among other items SA国际影视传媒� all from recycled glass.

SA国际影视传媒淲e're continuously making different types of glass things,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Proudly crafted

He said one SA国际影视传媒渞emarkably popularSA国际影视传媒� aspect of the business is the workshops they conduct for visitors.

Standing in his cozy shop, with sunlight streaming through shelves lined with green, brown and coveted cobalt blue glassware, Grogono estimates that hundreds of thousands of pieces of his functional art have been made and purchased locally or by tourists from around the world.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople like making it themselves. It's a quiet time, it makes them think. And they are so darn happy with themselves,SA国际影视传媒� he said of the satisfaction individuals get when they see the completed item in their hands.

Grogono said they are able to source most of the bottles they use for their glassware locally, from the Yellowknife Bottle Depot.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey help us extract the ones that we can turn into unique Northern art,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

An identifying feature on glassware is the artwork, he noted. During their early years, he said they had an artist who drew stencils, such as trees and ravens and other Northern images.

SA国际影视传媒淪he did some great stencils and we started using that on glassware,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd then over the course of about a year or so, I replicated her polar bear so many times that Bill Nasogaluak, a world famous sculptor, looked at my polar bear and said, SA国际影视传媒楾hatSA国际影视传媒檚 not a polar bear, that's a hamster,SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� he laughed. SA国际影视传媒淎nd he drew a polar bear, and he gave it to me and said, SA国际影视传媒楾hatSA国际影视传媒檚 a polar bear.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�

On its 30^th anniversary, an achievement held by few in the Yellowknife business district, recycling remains a core value of the business.

To coincide with the anniversary and to extend their business reach, a new website was launched that complements their newly-designed Facebook page and which contains a link to a music celebration that was live streamed on July 1, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou know, Glassworks was in a recycling business before, but weSA国际影视传媒檙e much more in a recreational entertainment business. People want an adventure, and musical events on a low-key level are fun,SA国际影视传媒� he said of the anniversary event.

With the help of various grants and investments, Grogono said they are determining ways to continue implementing the SA国际影视传媒榝our RsSA国际影视传媒� of recycling and to SA国际影视传媒渞ethink Old Town Glassworks.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淎fter Covid and staff changes, we have had to retrain and rebuild the whole company. And now in summer, where things are catching up a bit, we can have more fun with creative art and developing more SA国际影视传媒榦ne-offSA国际影视传媒� pieces of art.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e got a 1941 log cabin, weSA国际影视传媒檝e got people from all over the world looking for adventure and mystery.SA国际影视传媒�