For a long time I have loved the idea of working with glass, whether it be stained glass, blown glass, or making different things with pieces of broken glass. But never would I have thought that one of the main ways I would be working with glass is be by recycling it!

A few years ago I had to quit working “normal jobs” because I started having health problems that turned out to be POTS. When I learned about this I was heartbroken. Having this chronic illness restricted me from doing so much of what I loved to do and all that I wanted to learn. It took some time but eventually I found something that I could do even with my restrictions. I started to take broken glass and put it in a rock tumbler to make fake sea glass, and with that I started to make jewelry and windchimes!

Shortly after I started to do that my mother made me realize something. Montana has to ship its glass to other states to get it recycled! So with heavy support from my mother we decided to change that. Right here in Montana we want to start taking glass that would just end up in a landfill and make it into something new. Whether that be making sand bags for erosion, decoration for gravel driveways or gardens, or for glass artists to use for their own art. All we want is for Montana to have a more sustainable way of handling our discarded glass.