Tyler alumni Mark Ellis (BFA ’06) and Danielle Ruttenberg (BFA ’06), two of the three co-owners and co-founders of Remark Glass. Image courtesy of the artists.

Remark Glass—a majority women-owned studio co-owned and co-founded by two Tyler School of Art and Architecture alumni, Mark Ellis (BFA ’06) and Danielle Ruttenberg (BFA ’06), along with artist Rebecca Davies—is the first business to earn the “Zero Waste” designation from the City of Philadelphia’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet, which is charged with creating a comprehensive plan for waste reduction and litter prevention.

The cabinet, created by executive order by Mayor Jim Kenney in 2016, is part of the City’s bold goal to become convert the city into a zero waste entity by 2035. Remark Glass—a South Philadelphia company that produces handblown barware, lighting, decor and tableware from recycled glass—is the first to reach the City’s “Silver Status” level of zero waste, along with Two Logan Square.

“Once you get in the groove, it’s not that hard to keep a log of [the waste you put out],” Mark Ellis told South Philly Review. “It’s getting people to be more conscious of the waste they create.”

Each day, Remark creates approximately 40 glasses from locally-sourced products that are donated as well as collected from local bars and small businesses. Each piece is hand-formed, one at a time, through a process that is energy efficient and, now, zero waste certified.