Ben Hyman ventures into glass recycling for Revival
In this interview, we talk with Revival’s CEO and co-founder Ben Hyman about its latest glassware and rugs made from recycled materials. The homegoods brand’s rugs are created with about 400 recycled plastic bottles (and are resistant to water and mildew), and its glassware collection is made using beldi, a Moroccan craft that recycles old glasses for new pieces.
Hyman previously worked at PayJoy and Samsung Electronics, and he also co-founded Brooklinen. He holds an MBA from NYU Stern, an MA from Johns Hopkins SAIS, and a BA from the University of Toronto. He's also a Fulbright Scholar.
BC: Can you tell us about Revival, and why you started working with beldi glass?
BH: We started out focusing exclusively on rugs. When we launched, we were handpicking vintage rugs from across Turkey and selling them online. Since then, we’ve expanded into vintage Moroccan rugs, and new production rugs made with traditional techniques. In the process, we’ve also had the opportunity to meet incredible artisans who make a variety of home decor items beyond rugs, from tableware to furniture to textiles. Our team in Morocco found a small business in Marrakech that makes really beautiful glassware out of recycled glass, sorting it by color, melting it down, and shaping it into something new.
Our line is a collection of glasses, carafes, and pitchers in a clear color with a faint blue tint or green.
BC: What is “beldi”? Is it good, or better for the environment?
BH: “Beldi” is a term that refers to something that’s made by hand, locally, piece-by-piece, with traditional expertise. It connotes charm, and one-of-a-kind.
Glass-wise, it’s definitely good for the environment in that it’s eliminating waste. So rather than old glass bottles piling up in landfills, the glass is collected, cleaned, and transformed into something lovely and useful.
“It’s up to producers to spend the time and energy researching production options that are better for the long-term health of our planet and fellow humans.”
BC: What’s a technology or development that should be adopted more broadly to encourage sustainability?
BH: The industry as a whole should make balanced, fair decisions when it comes to resources. From a material standpoint, this means addressing waste by developing recycled materials, prioritizing materials that are sustainable, carbon-neutral, and eco-friendly. Traditional technologies are often waste-conscious and quality-focused, so we gravitate towards heritage techniques.
BC: What’s the one major thing you think that has to happen right now to further such efforts?
BH: Consumers and producers both need to level up. If consumers refuse to buy products that aren’t made sustainably, producers will have no choice but to figure out how to produce more ethical products. That said, it’s really up to producers as well to lead the charge, and spend the time and energy researching production options that are better for the long-term health of our planet and fellow humans. Revival’s customer base values this as well, so both sustainability and profitability are aligned.
BC: What articles you're reading, or what news are you following at the moment?
BH: I read this piece by Andrea Richards from the NYTimes that I found to be a pretty interesting piece of rug history. I’m often reading business journals and newspapers like WSJ and The NY Times.
