The journey of Circular Glass begins with waste — but waste is not where the story ends.
In Sweden, where the furnaces of the Kosta glassworks have been lit since 1742, the craftsmanship has been shaped by creativity and experimentation. Today, that tradition is taking a more circular path. Kosta Boda's Circular Glass gives glass waste from its own production a new purpose.
Keeping Glass in a Closed Loop
This is not post-consumer glass collected from bottles, households or previously used products from outside the glassworks. The material comes from Kosta Boda's own production in Kosta, Sweden, creating a closed loop within the glassworks itself.
Once the waste glass has been collected, it is sorted by color tone before being returned to the production of new design and tableware objects.
That variation becomes part of the process. Different colors, tones and characteristics of the waste glass can come together in new ways, giving the resulting material its own color DNA. Rather than starting with a perfectly uniform material, the glassmakers work with what the production has created allowing its previous life to influence what comes next.
When Waste Becomes Part of the Design
The variations created by the circular glass process become part of the finished object. Changes in color, tone and texture can give each piece its own expression, while tiny bubbles formed during production can add further character. Rather than being something to hide, these variations become part of what makes Circular Glass distinctive.
Crackle by Åsa Jungnelius offers a particularly expressive example. Inspired by cracks preserved in glass, the sculptural Crackle design is created using an old craft technique in which hot glass is dipped into ice-cold water. The result is a distinctive surface that captures the appearance of cracks within the glass.
The Crackle Vase Circular Small brings another layer to the design. Made from circular glass collected from Kosta Boda's own production in Kosta, Sweden, the vase can shift from softer greens and blues to deeper tones, while tiny bubbles formed during the process add character and texture. Each piece therefore carries its own combination of color and variation.
The Craftsmanship Behind Circular Glass
Giving glass a new life still begins with the hands of the glassmakers. At Kosta Boda, the circular glass process becomes part of a centuries-old glassmaking tradition, where skill, material and design come together to create something new.
The Rock Votive Circular by Hanna Hansdotter offers a contemporary interpretation of a piece of Kosta Boda's design history. The Rock collection was created as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Snowball by Ann Wolff, reinterpreting its familiar irregular surface through a dramatic silhouette and contemporary color palette.
Within this series, The Rock Votive Circular brings that design into the circular glass process. Made from waste glass collected from Kosta Boda's own, it can range from soft greens and blues to deeper, richer tones. Tiny bubbles formed during the process add character and texture, making every piece a unique work of art with its own story to tell.
How Circular Glass Shapes the Design
Circular Glass introduces an element of unpredictability into the design process. The material available for production can vary in color and character, meaning that the glassmakers and designers work with a material that is not entirely predetermined.
Rather than treating these variations as something to correct, Circular Glass allows them to become part of the finished expression. The result is a relationship between material, craftsmanship, and design where the characteristics of the glass can influence the individuality of each piece.
This approach reflects an idea within Scandinavian design: allowing materials to speak for themselves and finding beauty in the qualities that make each object different.
A New Life for Glass
Circular Glass makes production waste possible to become part of something new. What begins inside the glassworks can return as a handmade design object, carrying the character of its material into a new form.
The process is not about creating something entirely removed from what came before. It is about giving existing material another purpose, and allowing its history to remain part of the result.
Explore Kosta Boda Circular Glass
