Who is BackYard Sapphire?
Tina, Dawn, Millie, Sebastian - and all of you!
What is BackYard Sapphire?
Backyard Sapphire is a women-owned small business. We are a Community Driven LLC. Our goal is to recycle as much glass as we can and raise awareness about use and re-use -- A 2 for 1. We recycle glass waste from our community and turn it into sustainable products available for purchase.
What do we accept?
We take glass food and beverage containers used in your kitchen. These glasses are safe to crush and put back into gardens. We also take soup/bean cans and beer/soda cans. We ask that you rinse them properly. If you want to go above and beyond, remove the labels! We don’t mind if you don’t though. Please up cycle a box, if you do not have or want a bin. But Please: No Plastic Bags
What do Not accept?
The most common items we receive that are not recyclable with us are: Unrinsed food jars, baking dishes, microwave plates, and candle holders. The religious candle holders and candles made from wine bottles are the only candle holders that we can accept. Please remove the wax before recycling. Lightbulbs, window panes, mirrors, and stained glass are not recyclable
What does it cost?
Please see our Membership Tiers & Pricing for more information.
Where are the Drop Off Points?
We have 1 drop off site at: The Fightingville Farmer's Market. On the corner of Pierce and W. Simcoe, there is a map with directions on this site.
What do we do with it?
In short: we get it, crush it, sift it, sort it, and make sustainable products with the by-product of our recycling process. There are details and photos in 'Products' as to what we offer.
Is Glass Mulch sharp, what about my pets and children??
Surprisingly not! We can run our hands through it without incident. For all work, we wear gloves to minimize any problems and suggest wearing gloves when gardening, with or without our mulch. Our dog and cat nap on and walk across all of our glass-mulched gardens.
Why would I pay for recycling?
Our Parish and surrounding parishes do not recycle glass. A lot of what we do put in our recycling bin gets put into landfills because of contamination. This happens because we typically want to recycle more than what is accepted. It becomes a catch 22, because we (I know I've done it) end up contaminating our own well intentioned efforts. So BackYard Sapphire takes the glass, crushes it up into different sizes for different uses, and hopes people will seek us out and collaborate in this community project. Sand, along with water, is one of the two largest natural resources. We charge for recycling so that we can continue to do it. There is a lot of work and supplies involved. We don't have any funding other than the community participants in the recycling and mulch purchasing programs.
What would I do with crushed glass?
After we crush, sift and blend the colors, it is a beautiful addition to any garden, potted plant, vase or fish tank. It can be used as bedding for pavers and walkways or art projects.