Bottles to Beads—Fair Trade Jewelry is Good for the Earth

Stephanie King
Bottles to be recycled into beads.
Bottles to be recycled into beads.

Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper! A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose -- and even longer if it's in the landfill.

With all this waste, it's good to know that fair trade artisans in Kenya are turning thousands of discarded bottles into beautiful pieces of jewelry. They clean the bottles and melt them in a furnace, then spin the liquid into beads on a metal rod. Blending the beads with silver accents, these skilled artisans string them into contemporary, elegant jewelry. This fair trade work earns them about 5 times more than the average wage in Kenya.

Necklace made from recycled bottles
Necklace made from recycled bottles

If you care about the environment, consider wearing this eco-friendly jewelry. Taking a stand never looked so good!


Stephanie King
Fair Trade Designs