22 May, 2026

We spend a lot of time thinking about reducing waste. First answer? Try and produce less of it. But what about when something’s already been made? The folks at SmoothEdge have found a way of bringing beauty and longevity to your old wine and spirit bottles – the next best thing!

This business, which creates glass and kitchenware from old glass bottles (particular shout out to the gorgeous tumblers made from the beautiful recycled bottles produced by our friends at Mermaid Gin), was initially borne out of the founders’ desire to raise some extra cash to fund their travels. When lockdown hit, production ramped up, the idea proved itself, and what started as a side hustle became a full‑time mission: rescue unnecessary waste.

Not only do these products account for 100 times less carbon than the alternative made with virgin glass, they are stunning and useful products. This is exactly in line with our work at Good Business: it shows the joy (or benefits) in the sustainable option rather than feeling a sacrifice. We don’t know about you, but we’ll be looking at our waste a little differently. Maybe there’ll be some Good Business merch made from old oat milk cartons coming soon.

By Anna Heis