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Lebanon Stands on a Pile of Broken Glass

Published September 8th, 2020 - 07:18 GMT

Glass from the explosion poses different challenges from bottles.

Between 20 and 22 tons of glass had been brought to the factory in Tripoli, a hive of rhythmic activity centered around the furnace that burns at 900-1,200 degrees Celsius. 

More than 5,000 tons of glass was shattered by the explosion. From mid-August to September 2, almost 58 tons were sent for reuse at Uniglass and Koub/Golden Glass in Tripoli. Volunteers tried to salvage at least part of the tons of glass that littered the streets to help the local industry.

Glass retrieved from Beirut after the massive explosion at its port re-emerged as molten glass ready to be recycled into traditional slim-necked water jugs.

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A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec

A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec

A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

Workers sort through broken glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it

Workers sort through broken glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A worker arranges finished jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it

A worker arranges finished jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A picture taken on August 24, 2020, shows a note left by activists over a pile of collected glass in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's gla

A picture taken on August 24, 2020, shows a note left by activists over a pile of collected glass in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec
Workers sort through broken glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it
A worker arranges finished jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it
A picture taken on August 24, 2020, shows a note left by activists over a pile of collected glass in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's gla
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through
A glassblower forms glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through rec
A worker washes jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
Workers sort through broken glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it
Workers sort through broken glass at factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A worker arranges finished jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it
A worker arranges finished jugs at a factory, which is recycling the broken glass as a result of the Beirut explosion, in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on August 25, 2020. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP
A picture taken on August 24, 2020, shows a note left by activists over a pile of collected glass in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's gla
A picture taken on August 24, 2020, shows a note left by activists over a pile of collected glass in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood. The August 4 port explosion ripped through countless glass doors and windows when it laid waste to whole Beirut neighbourhoods, killing at least 190 people and wounding thousands more. Volunteers, non-governmental groups and entrepreneurs salvaged a fraction of the tonnes of broken glass that littered the streets, some of it through recycling at Wissam Hammoud's family's glass factory. JOSEPH EID / AFP

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