Message in a (Empty) Bottle: A Facility Tour & Workshop with Glass for Life
Join Impact.Edition and Glass for Life for a behind-the-scenes facility tour and hands-on workshop exploring how discarded bottles are transformed into recycled glass sand.
This is a unique opportunity to meet the changemakers featured in our story, experience their work firsthand, and discover how an innovative local recycling solution could contribute to coastal restoration.
We’ll also share more insights from our stories, bringing the reporting to life through conversation, connection, and hands-on learning.
Why This Matters
Glass is infinitely recyclable, yet Miami-Dade County has a historically low glass recycling rate of just 7 percent.
Glass for Life is working to change that by bringing together scientists, students, businesses, and community partners to explore how discarded glass can become a resource for ecological restoration.
A pioneering study led by Glass for Life at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, in collaboration with the University of Miami, is examining whether recycled glass sand can support native plant growth and contribute to coastal resilience.
What to Expect
Meet the Glass for Life team featured in Impact.Edition
Tour the facility and see the glass-recycling process firsthand
Learn how discarded bottles become recycled glass sand
Take part in a hands-on workshop using recycled glass sand
Create a special keepsake to take home
Connect with local changemakers and fellow Impact.Edition readers
Bring Your Glass
Participants are invited to bring glass containers collected at home, including wine bottles, jars, and other glass packaging. The Glass for Life team will help ensure they are properly recycled.
Please also bring one clean jar with a lid, if you have one. During the workshop, you’ll use recycled glass sand to create a special keepsake to take home.
Parking
Street parking is available near the Glass for Life facility. Please allow a little extra time to find parking and arrive.
At Impact.Edition, we believe stories can help people see solutions differently and inspire them to become part of the change. By bringing our reporting into the places where innovation is happening, we connect readers with the people, ideas, and collaborations shaping a more sustainable South Florida. Follow us on Instagram: @Impact.Edition.