David Mizejewski, Naturalist, National Wildlife Federation

A naturalist at the National Wildlife Federation, David Mizejewski’s passion for nature began seemingly at birth. Referring to himself as a “lifelong nature geek,” Mizejewski developed a passion for animals and nature growing up in New Jersey. After studying ecology in school, Mizejewski made the jump to the NWF in 2000.

As NWF celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, its focus remains intact as “America’s conservation organization.” Naturally, as the world has evolved, the NWF has grown and centered on climate change, protecting wildlife and its habitats and connecting people with nature. That last point is especially near and dear to Mizejewski.

“A naturalist is somebody that knows a lot about nature,” Mizejewski explains. “My job is to go on TV, go on radio, blog, write books, write for magazines — if there is a media outlet, I try and target it to get in there with our messages about our programs and initiatives, but also about the beauty and wonder of nature.”

Listen to David Mizejewski’s segment here.

Lisa Fimiani, Executive Director, Friends of Ballona Wetlands

The Friends of Ballona Wetlands started as a grassroots concept in a living room and has blossomed into a 33-year-old nonprofit still fighting for wetland health and preservation in Playa del Ray, CA. Lisa Fimiani got her start at the organization 25 years ago as a volunteer, and now acts as the nonprofit’s Executive Director.

The area of coastal greater Los Angeles has been at risk for decades now, fueled by 20th century commercial and residential growth. Though developments such as Palisades del Ray and Marina del Ray threatened to ruin these very fragile wetlands, the 70,000-plus volunteers over the years have ensured that they survive and thrive. To date, more than 600 acres are protected with new tidegates to prevent flooding and improve water flow.

“You don’t preserve wildlife and habitat by standing on the fringe and constantly complaining,” Fimiani says. “We will always do what is best for the wetlands.”

Listen to Lisa Fimiani’s segment here.

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Conventional examples of beauty, while easy on the eyes, can simultaneously be pedestrian. Exercising a keen observational sense, on the other hand, enables us to detect and appreciate secret treasures lurking unassumingly in our midst.

Hannah Streefkerk understands this philosophy all too well. While so many of today’s creative-minded individuals strive to channel some semblance of conventional beauty through their paintbrush, pencil or camera, the Dutch-born eco-artist makes a concerted effort to embrace the inherent flaws of the natural world in various unique ways.

Observing the craggy bark, knots and random splits marring the trunks of 30 trees in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, she set out to accent them with lovingly applied embroidery. Armed with a drill, upholstery needle, red yarn and camera, Streefkerk ran a series of stitches along the length of select arboreal imperfections, symbolically repairing them while also adorning them with artistic panache.

One might say that her embroidery style summons visions of Frankenstein hunched over his motley creation, or at the very least, a kindergarten-style craft project, but then again, you try exercising artistic mastery while sewing through thick wood. It can’t be easy.

The works of Hannah Streefkerk

In a world where Photoshopping, airbrushing and concealer are all commonplace, it makes perfect sense that Streefkerk would wield chunky stitches on her equally down-to-earth subjects. Acknowledging and celebrating their cosmetic imperfections, she has transformed weatherworn trees and tufts of grass into textural eco-tapestries that, rather than summoning Frankenstein’s monster, metaphorically strut the catwalk with a cookie-cutter-free sense of pride.

Similarly, she exercises her unique brand of eco-modification on two-dimensional photographic studies of mountains, rocks and seascapes. Each print boasts a defining assortment of stitches that serve to highlight the simple beauty of crevices, shadows, ridges and grooves. Normally, one might take for granted how light and shadows make a windswept beach far more than just an ideal surface for sunbathing. The Dutch artist takes all the guesswork out of the equation by making it readily apparent, in the process helping the casual observer to gain a newfound appreciation for the master artist, Mother Nature.

Those on the outside continue deciphering the true motivations behind the works of writers, poets, musicians and artists, perhaps because it gives them a basic sense of comprehension and quite possibly even a direct line to the creative muse within.

As is the case with so many of her contemporaries, critics offer multiple unique perspectives on how and why Streefkerk’s installation art is categorized as “environmental” rather than simply just quirky. Amid all of the countering viewpoints, they do agree on one common thing, however: that her anti-perfection stance proves that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and precisely what makes the natural world so awe-inspiring.

Mike Brander, Vice President of Sales, Verizon Wireless, and Jack Roberts, CEO and President, Consert

The union between telephone and data giant Verizon Wireless and Consert, a smart-grid technology company, is a meeting of high-end technology and green energy conservation. The two companies have created a model partnership that is changing the way we utilize electronics.

Verizon Wireless’ Vice President of Sales, Mike Brander, and Consert’s CEO and President, Jack Roberts, speak on this strategic pairing. For Verizon Wireless, launching its 4G LTE wireless system is transforming the company into the next generation of technological greatness, at a cost of $6 billion per year. Consert joins Verizon Wireless to make going green a bit easier and more cost effective.

“The problem with the electric utility is that it is the only utility that has to function without storage,” Roberts says. “There is no mass storage of electricity. [Consert offers] the ability to give energy conservation many of the attributes of generation.”

“[Verizon Wireless and Consert together] are able to offer a solution to the utility sector as well as consumers that can help manage their energy usage and provide demand response,” Brander explains. In short: by using less energy, Verizon Wireless customers will end up saving money.

Listen to Mike Brander and Jack Roberts’ segment here.

Paige Pederson, Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, LifeLock

Paige Pederson manages the identity theft educational programs at Tempe, AZ-based LifeLock. Pederson joined the company back when it was a start-up in 2006, and it has since blossomed into one of the biggest identity theft protection companies in the U.S. That is significant, since identity theft is the fastest rising crime in America.

The average identity theft victim spends approximately 30 hours tending to their case. LifeLock’s protection helps to minimize your risk level, and proactively resolves any issues that do occur.

“There are many points of contact throughout the day, the month and the year that you give your personal information into the hands of a potential bad guy,” Pederson says. “We’re trying to put safeguards in place to help you not be a victim in the first place.”

Listen to Paige Pederson’s segment here.

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In the land of plenty, Americans have mastered the fine art of consumption. With access to so many unique goods and services, we gamely purchase shiny new things, admire them in our homes for a brief spell and then give them an all-too-early landfill retirement so that we can repeat the acquisition process all over again. With 3.79 million square miles of terrain and 313 million residents, America is home to a vast expanse of waste depositories — 3,000 active landfills by some estimates.

The ongoing recession has admittedly curbed the speed with which we love and leave the tangible objects of our affection, but the EPA’s 2010 municipal solid waste data — in which it was determined that each U.S. citizen disposed of 4.43 pounds of waste on a daily basis — suggests that our perception of what is truly garbage can worthy could easily benefit from some tweaking.

Imagine, however, being confined to a comparably petite 70-hectare island located approximately 5 miles south of Singapore. Residents of Pulau Semakau certainly can relate. One could easily think that the tropical paradise, with its treasure trove of 780+ botanical and wildlife species, is likely one of the last unspoiled regions in the world, and yet if you look under the surface, evidence of mankind’s consumeristic impact becomes all too apparent.

It is there that the Central Park-sized Semakau Landfill, consisting of sand, clay and heavy-gauge polyethylene-lined bays, has been operating since 1999. The $360-million 2.2-square-mile facility has received the charred waste of Singapore’s entire 4.4 million population — the equivalent of 2,000 tons of construction waste and ash daily — and will continue doing so for the next 28 years until it finally reaches maximum capacity.

Burning garbage prior to transporting it via barge to the landfill reduces the actual volume being buried to a scant 10%, where upon delivery, it is then poured into an underground storage bay, covered with soil and ultimately seeded with greenery.

In all fairness, the Semakau Landfill was strategically planned to work in harmony with the various ecosystems indigenous to Pulau Semakau, and some say that it serves as a shining example of how a waste facility can truly be eco-friendly. Be that as it may, it also reminds us that incineration, while practical from a volume-reducing standpoint, still generates airborne pollution. Instead of disposing of everything under the sun, it stands to reason that recycling and resource conservation should really be the first line of defense.

Nowhere does this notion become more palpable than in Aw Zinkie’s recent photographic series, “Republic of Pulau Semankau.” The Singapore-based photographer, interested in shedding light on the connection between consumerism and the solitary waste depository in her neck of the woods, captures portraits of people posing with their garbage. Her self-dubbed “identity autops(ies)” are particularly memorable because subjects’ faces are superimposed with common sources of trash.

From the empty plastic suntan lotion bottles and snack wrappers typical of the beach dweller, to the crumpled-up fast food packaging of the street vendor, Aw’s photographic studies enable us to bear witness to the sheer volume of items that our society as a whole thinks nothing of chucking in a garbage can. Upon closer inspection, however, we realize that the majority of the items, from lottery tickets and glass liquor bottles, to paper-based food packaging, could all easily be recycled, thus making a significant dent in Singapore’s overall solid waste statistics.

As it turns out, Singapore is quite committed to cleaning up its act. While residents discarded close to 6 million tons of garbage in 2008, well over half of that volume was recycled. By 2030, the collective goal is to achieve zero landfilling, with as much as 70% of the waste stream recycled into usable materials.

So, rather than being a cautionary tale, perhaps Aw’s photographic study can be perceived as an inspiring reminder of what her fellow citizens in Singapore (and throughout the world, for that matter) need to do in order to tread a bit lighter on the planet. It takes no more than an extra second or two to drop a stainless steel can, newspaper, plastic beverage bottle or glass jar into a recycling bin rather than a garbage can. Minimal effort for maximum return, that is, if you like the idea of chipping in to save the world.

Laura Wright-Treadway, Author of "Pure Chemistry," OnEarth magazine

Laura Wright-Treadway joins “Green is Good” to discuss her recently published OnEarth article, “Pure Chemistry.” The genesis of the article stems from increased pressure from consumers for manufacturers to divulge their ingredients and processes, and to use safer, greener ingredients.

There is a certain degree of push and pull, of course. Manufacturers are weary of giving away their recipes for their products, while consumers, particularly those with young children, fear that their household products are chock full of toxins. As a result, some brands have chosen to release “eco-friendly” formulas while continuing to produce their namesake product.

“Consumer awareness has been growing over the past several years when it comes to chemicals, not only in the environment, but also when it comes to the things we eat and drink and put on our bodies,” Wright-Treadway explains. “At the same time, we’re tuned into the fact that other countries are significantly ahead of us when it comes to keeping these things out of our bodies.”

Chuck Brickman, Founder, Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling

Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling founder Chuck Brickman never dreamt he would end up in the mattress recycling business, but a television program on landfill waste took him by such surprise that he felt compelled to make a difference.

OMRR was founded in 2007 as the only mattress recycler in the U.S. offering pick-up service. In 2010, the company recycled 1.5 million pounds of mattresses, and that number only figures to steadily rise. At the same time, the mattress industry has little to no regulation as far as recycling is concerned, so Brickman spends much time trying to educate consumers and companies.

“A great majority of the population is sleeping on mattresses that, considering the contents, are probably 80% recyclable,” Brickman explains. “We’re now able to recycle approximately 95% of the materials [in mattresses we receive].”

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Holy Lamb Organics' Wooley "Down" pillow

Willow Whitton had the inspiration for Holy Lamb Organics while on a backpacking trip in 2000. She could only find backpacking pillows that were 100% synthetic, and the idea for a natural pillow alternative was born. By the end of the trip, she had a full business plan in mind that included an intended zero-waste facility.

Some highlights sure to make your heart skip a beat:

100% zero waste of manufacturing byproducts: Holy Lamb Organics reuses, recycles or composts all of the materials used in production. None of the raw materials ever enter a landfill. For example, the smallest scraps of thread, wool and fabric are upcycled through the ReKindle Program. When you make a purchase from the ReKindle Program you are supporting the reuse and recycling of the “scrap resources” that Holy Lamb Organics generates in the facility. Normally, scraps like these would be thrown away. But they upcycle even the tiniest pieces of organic cotton fabric or wool, dye them with natural or low-impact dyes and create beautiful products. Their featured crafter right now is Tiffany Korn with Heart Felt Woolies. If you want to learn more about the products available, visit holylamborganics.com/rekindle.html.

In 2008, Holy Lamb Organics to Oakville, WA, a small town near the state’s capital. They renovated the historic “Little Bit” general store. The building was built in 1902 and served as Oakville’s general store for more than 80 years. It has been fully restored to its original glory with innovative additions such as natural green insulation and an organic community garden on site.

Any of the “scrap resources” that are too small to be used for products are composted or used as a mulch layering for Holy Lamb Organics’ community garden paths. Larger and more useful scraps are placed in the company’s Free Bin, located in the Oakville store, to give away or donate to area schools. For example, the Brightwater Waldorf School in Seattle used the fabric scraps that come from Holy Lamb Organics’ Nursing Pillow to make sails for boats.

Commitment to sustainable and organic: Holy Lamb Organics only offers natural bedding products — the company does not use any synthetics. All of its cotton is organic, and all of its wool is grown by small U.S. sheep farmers that are part of the Premium Eco-Wool Program.

Chemical and scent-free facility: Holy Lamb Organics’ facility is a chemical- and scent-free environment, both for the health of its employees and to ensure the quality of its products. Only natural, mild, biodegradable soap is used to clean the shop. In addition, employees come to work scent-free and are required to refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, scented hand creams and so on.

I was sold when I read the company’s mission statement:

“To promote health, well-being and to strengthen an economy based on ecology through manufacturing a line of high quality, all-natural, made in the U.S.A. organic bedding products produced using sustainable and ecological practices. Holy Lamb Organics specializes in using only organic cotton fabrics and local Premium Eco-Wool from the U.S. Western Regions. We are proud to be a zero waste company (reusing/recycling all of our production by-products) and are committed to providing exceptional customer service and quality products.”

Holy Lamb Organics’ bedding line is featured in more than 80 stores across the U.S and Canada. If you want more information, visit the company’s website at holylamborganics.com.

Don Carli, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Communication

Don Carli’s career in marketing consulting spreads nearly three decades, but in the last 12 years, his focus has shifted to sustainability measures in the print and supply chain worlds. He splits time directing the Institute for Sustainable Communications and Nima Hunter, a consulting firm he founded in the ’80s that centers on the before-mentioned issues.

The list of Carli’s clients is large — Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, Adobe and so many more. The overarching goal: how to make the products we use every day more efficient and effective. The Institute for Sustainable Communications’ mission ties directly in: to raise awareness and build capacity for the sustainable use of print and digital media.

“For the majority of people, ‘green’ is just not a motivating factor,” Carli admits. “People first and foremost focus on primary benefits — utility, convenience, effectiveness. If it also happens to be green, that may be the tiebreaker in the decision.”

Neg Norton, President, Local Search Association

Neg Norton’s entire career has been based in the local search arena — transitioning from Yellow Pages and local marketing to digital local search with Local Search Association.

Norton mentions yellowpagesoptout.com, a handy online tool that helps save valuable materials and energy by allowing users to opt-out of phone book delivery at their home or business. By supporting both digital and print location services, Local Search provides options for each segment of its user base. Despite what one may think, the print Yellow Pages is still referenced every day — nearly 11 billion times a year.

“Delivering phone books to people that don’t want them is an irritant to the consumer,” Norton says. “It’s expensive and it doesn’t create any value for our advertisers. It’s just the right thing to do.”

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Rabid bicycle worship continues to take the world by storm, and if one or more of the following enthusiastic declarations hasn’t already tumbled out of your own mouth, chances are pretty good that you have heard a friend, colleague or family member say…

“Riding on two wheels is totally eco-friendly!”

“It’s worth pedaling for the gasoline and insurance savings alone!”

“Cycling is great for your body, plus there’s no workout boredom!”

“Cruising around with the wind blowing through your hair is the greatest stress reliever ever!”

“Your blood pressure will instantly drop and you’ll feel 10 years younger!”

“You’ll probably get to your destination a lot quicker, plus it’s a cinch finding a parking spot!”

Commuting on bicycle (or merely just tooling around on weekends) has enjoyed such a notable resurgence in popularity that you can’t go anywhere without seeing the two-wheeled lifestyle depicted in every corner of pop culture, from art, design and fashion, to film and television (Portlandia, anyone?).

Desperately seeking a non-dorky cycling helmet? No problem. How about specially designed urban cycling duds? You got it! Walk into a big-box store and you’ll now even be able to purchase a limited-edition designer bicycle adorned with Italian fashion house Missoni’s signature zigzag pattern, or for those with far more disposable income, higher-end limited-edition versions by the likes of Kate Spade, Hermes, Cynthia Rowley, Gucci, Chanel and Ralph Lauren are also available.

With bicycle adoration at an all-time fever pitch, it’s hardly surprising that fans are sprucing up their favorite mode of transportation with uniquely personalized flourishes such as corseted seat covers, DIY baskets, hand-crocheted dress guards, fuzzy dangling handlebar dice, illuminated spokes and leather six-pack holders. Securing this treasured possession onto a sturdy metal pole can now be achieved courtesy of a fanciful ivy-like cable lock or a conventional U-shaped security device sheathed with a multicolored hand-knitted cozy.

Well, why shouldn’t real live greenery get in on the bicycle bling-a-ling action? All things considered, bikes and portable gardens are kindred spirits, much in the same way that peanut butter and jelly were simply just meant to go together. Bicycle commuting is a zero-carbon endeavor, so it would seem that boosting one’s ride with botanical oomph could conceivably make it even more planet friendly. Despite cyclers being exposed to copious amounts of pollution while commuting back and forth, wouldn’t it be cool if portable plants were somehow capable of yielding a personalized smog filtration system? Hey, there’s no harm in dreaming.

You’re intrigued, aren’t you? Well there’s no reason why your bike should be left out of all the plant-inspired fun:

• Fill a bicycle basket with a bountiful leafy-floral garden or seed the exterior with real grass.
• Weave fresh picked flowers in your wheel spokes. Of course, tender blades of grass will also work!
• Hammer together a bodacious window box planter that can be anchored to your handlebars with a few zip ties.
• Colleen Jordan sells individual miniature nylon planters in assorted colors that effortlessly attach to bicycle frames, but petite containers of all types can certainly be modified — perhaps even a recycled egg carton planter strapped to a rear carrier?

Seth Leitman, "The Green Living Guy"

Seth Leitman may not have known it at the time, but he planted the seeds to become the “Green Living Guy” during his master’s program studies focusing on energy usage and the environment. It was a good concentration choice: Now years later, Leitman says that green living is all about energy, economy and environment, and making all three work in sync.

Today, Leitman is a prolific green author and editor of several books, including Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle and Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, among others. He also blogs, creates green-themed videos and even hosts the “Green Living Guy Show” radio program. He does it all to answer green questions that “people are afraid to ask.”

“I want everybody to be green gurus,” Leitman says, referencing his series of books published by McGraw-Hill. “It’s not just about me; I’m just one guy.”

Listen to Seth Leitman’s segment here.

Joshua Greene, Partner, Patton Boggs

Joshua Greene is the head of energy and natural resources at Patton Boggs, an international law firm specializing in global business and trade for nearly 50 years. Since joining the firm in 2002, Greene has worked on the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, cementing his reputation as a green energy advocate and policymaker.

Greene, who works in Washington, D.C., says our nation is at an energy crossroads at this time. Despite strong bipartisan campaigning advocating green energy advancements in the last presidential election, our nation has had to cut back funding on many of these necessary programs. Yet many businesses continue to see the value in transitioning to a cleaner-energy economy with sustainable policies.

“Not only do federal agencies have to become cleaner and greener,” Greene explains, “but [they] also have to become more sustainable in their entire value chain.”

Listen to Joshua Greene’s segment here.

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Anna Gilmore-Hall, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth

Anna Gilmore Hall is described as a “nursing luminary,” and rightly so, as she splits time as the editor of Greenhealth Magazine and as the Executive Director of Practice Greenhealth. But, first and foremost, Gilmore Hall identifies herself as a nurse, which she says is an important title that recognizes the link between health and the environment.

Practice Greenhealth is a nonprofit member organization that works to find environmental solutions for the healthcare sector, creating greener, safer workplaces along the way. The nonprofit deals with everything from green-building solutions and sustainable business practices, to responsible end-of-life policies for medical supplies and products. The group currently has approximately 1,100 hospital members.

“Not only do we as healthcare providers need to heal our individual patients, but also the environment and the communities that we are serving,” Gilmore Hall says. “We also know that the healthcare sector is facing a rising disease burden. Over the last 15 years, science is implicating environmental threats to health as becoming impossible to ignore.”

Listen to Anna Gilmore Hall’s segment here.

Deborah Kattler Kupetz, Second Day Events

Los Angeles-based Deborah Kattler Kupetz worked in clothing manufacturing for a decade-plus before heading back to school to earn double master’s in social work and gerontology. Now, her focus has shifted to greening the event-planning business, a gap she felt needed to be filled in the Southern California area.

Five years in, Kattler Kupetz is consistently relied upon to plan and execute green-focused events — everything from professional functions to birthdays and bar and bat mitzvahs — in the LA area and beyond. Kattler Kupetz’s “Second Day Events” concept, in particular, is of green interest: using the materials from one event to power a separate event on a later date.

“The green space is not necessarily a profit-driven opportunity,” Kattler Kupetz admits. “The nature of my business is to reduce, reuse and recycle. There are so many ways I can make an event a little easier on the earth. There are all kinds of things we can do, and people appreciate it, because it feels different.”

Listen to Deborah Kattler Kupetz’s segment here.

Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Director, Buckminster Fuller Challenge

Elizabeth Thompson is the Executive Director of Buckminster Fuller Challenge program, which awards a $100,000 prize annually to a proposal for a likely solution to a major global issue. The program is unique in that it presents a large-scale award annually without specifically denoting a given issue that needs solving.

Applicants for the Buckminster Fuller Challenge must demonstrate a compelling argument that the problem they are addressing is a major leverage point in our global systems. Issues span the gamut of social and environmental change, from restoring the world’s soils and investing in women’s income, to designing new urban transportation systems and more.

“In other words,” Thompson explains, “if this particular problem is solved in a comprehensive way, it will have the effect of solving many other symptomatic issues at the same time. It’s a comprehensive approach — solving multiple problems simultaneously — that we’re really championing. We’re not interested in solving the symptoms, we’re interested in solving the root causes.”

George Black, Executive Editor, 'OnEarth'

George Black is the Executive Editor of the NRDC’s OnEarth magazine, a quarterly publication that examines critical environmental issues worldwide. Paramount in the magazine’s focus is climate change and its globe-spanning implications.

Black claims that climate change perceptions are different throughout the world, with some countries — including the U.S. — still burdened with climate deniers, while other, advanced countries are far along in employing renewable technologies.

“We’re at an interesting moment right now where we’ve done a great deal to convey the severity of the human drama of how people are impacted [by climate change],” Black says. “I think we’re now necessarily moving toward the [next] stage, which is to take the best initiatives that are underway, and say, ‘How can you bring them up to scale?’ In other words, how can you harvest the best ideas and bring them to a mass market?”

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“If you put the night light in the bathroom, it’s a reminder not to leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth, for example,” Vawn says.

Inspiring people to live greener lives is an intentional part of the Grays’ business. Artists by trade, the husband-and-wife team spent more than 20 years dabbling in different art mediums such as metal, stone and clay, none of which were particularly green. All their artistic endeavors required using new products and, in the case of ceramics, energy-sucking kilns. In addition, they routinely had to travel to art shows and craft fairs to sell their products.

Then, in 2007, they watched a concert designed to raise awareness about environmental issues. It was a wake-up call about how unsustainable their business was, and they decided to do something different with their artwork.

From left: Iris Recycled Glass Night Light, Lighthouse Recycled Glass Night Light, Happy Hour Recycled Glass Night Light. Images courtesy of Reborn Glass.

The new plan: Start working with a recycled material instead. As the Grays were exploring their possibilities, they talked to a relative who worked at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL.

A very popular tourist destination, the hotel went through plenty of wine, beer and liquor bottles every month. It was also in the process of becoming certified as a green hotel through the Florida Green Lodging Program. This voluntary program, offered by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, recognizes hotels making an effort to protect the state’s natural environment. In order to get certified, properties must make improvements in areas such as recycling, waste reduction, water conservation and indoor air quality, as well as efforts to educate the public and employees about ways to protect precious natural resources.

The Ritz-Carlton was more than happy to provide its used bottles to the Grays. It took several months of experimentation, but the pair finally figured out how to fuse the glass together. They started producing night-lights because they fit in their existing ceramics kiln. There was immediate interest, and Reborn Glass was, well, born. The success was apparent early on: Vawn says they got busy enough to call on their kids to help with the operations.

In addition to using 100% recycled glass bottles in their artwork, the Grays have found plenty of ways to bring environmentally friendly practices into their business. Products are fused in a much more energy-efficient kiln and packed in recycled materials for shipping. They focus on selling through their own website and catalogs like Viva Terra instead of retail locations across the land, which has dramatically decreased their fossil-fuel usage.

Reborn Glass also includes jewelry and drawer pulls in its product line. Yet the night-lights are still the most popular product. The lights feature landscapes, flowers and animals such as turtles. They’re working on several new designs, including a horse, giraffe and a new version of the cat. Some of the lights are studded with glass from particular alcohol brands, which fans of spirits like Bombay Sapphire Gin and Skyy Vodka will appreciate.

One of the limitations of using glass bottles is that they provide a narrow color palette. But Vawn says she doesn’t mind being limited to the greens and blues and clear and brown shades she has to work with. They remind her of the trees, water, air and earth she is intent on encouraging people to protect.