‘Smash Glass, Save Our World’

Ok, that’s a bit of a bold statement. But it did get me interested in the world of Breakbox; a new company trying to make a change in two ways, through environmental consciousness and promoting awareness and management of mental health. They call themselves the place where recycling meets recreational destruction. Intriguing right? I first encountered their work a few months ago, and I found it so interesting that I just had to share their concept.

The Recycling Bit

I think we all know that glass is widely recyclable. But did you know that in order to recycle it you need to smash the glass into little bits? Only when crushed into small pieces can glass be melted into new glass. Glass is also unique in the role it plays in manufacturing processes and circular economies. If you have you ever heard someone refer to plastic recycling as downcycling, they’re referring the quality of the new product decreasing from the original when recycled, but you don’t get that with glass at all. Recycle it as many times as you want, glass still remains high quality and incredible durable. Lovely.

So, recognising how great glass is, Breakbox are on a mission to make glass recycling a bigger, more regular, more efficient industry by providing a way to make the process easy and interesting. Breakbox invite members of the community to actively participate in the glass recycling process by giving them the opportunity to break a set amount of glass containers for a super cheap price (less than the cost of a movie ticket in the USA). Participants are able to choose from over ten different breaking games and are instructed by a trained “Break Buddy” who equips breakers in safety gear and makes sure everyone has a smashing time. BreakBox’s long term aim is to become the preferred glass hauler and processor for glass containers across the USA, helping to recycle and repurpose glass in a way that’s eco-friendly, cost effective, and fun.