Planet Berlin: Recycled high design

Every morning Jesper Jensen cycles around his neighborhood and collects empty wine bottles. The glass is washed, cleaned, cut, shaped and fire polished into drinking glasses, jugs and vases of various sizes. Finally, the glass is made dishwasher safe. The whole process takes about 24 hours.

By making drinking glasses from used bottles, Jesper Jensen has found a way to drink straight from the bottle in style. He has simultaneously created an eco-friendly product — sustainable drinking glasses that don't burden the environment. Meanwhile, the glasses, which have a unique color, thickness and shape, are delivered in discarded wooden crates that Jensen collects from the local grocer.

The glassware is fire polished to give each piece a smooth, even and rounded edge. There are also distinctive indents on both sides of the glass. Incidentally, the oven used to fire the glasses is also ideal for baking bread.

The vases are essentially produced in the same way as the drinking glasses. During the manufacturing process, the vase is again fire polished to create a smooth, even and rounded rim. But this time, three branches of glass are drawn out of the bottle to give the vase its unique feel and appearance.