Tacoma residents can drop off old glass bottles and windows to be turned into public art under a new pilot program from the city and Hilltop Artists.

The program, called "This Is What We Make of It," invites people to bring clear bottles and float glass, such as unframed windows and glass shelving, to the Tacoma Recycle Center on South Mullen Street. Staff and students from Hilltop Artists, the Hilltop-based nonprofit known for its youth glassblowing programs, will process the donated glass and use it in art and education projects.

The pilot runs through the end of February 2027, KOMO News first reported in September. Art made from the recycled glass will go toward AMOCAT Arts Awards, hidden glass treasures placed around town and Hilltop Artists projects.

The City of Tacoma's Environmental Services Division is funding a $60,000 Public Art Contract that supports a residency with artist Tyler Gordon and the production of 205 public art pieces from local waste glass, according to Hilltop Artists. The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation separately awarded a $50,000 grant to help build a carbon-neutral mobile glass studio featuring custom furnaces and a solar-electric battery array.

Gordon's artist-in-residence stint, planned for fall 2026 and winter 2027, will train youth in material science, green manufacturing and studio operations.

According to Hilltop Artists, the pilot is testing whether Tacoma can build a closed-loop system where waste glass becomes a local resource instead of heading to the landfill. The short-term goal is to divert 50 to 100 tons of glass from landfills each year. Hilltop Artists currently spends $75,000 a year importing more than 18 tons of raw glass materials for its studios.

The demand is already there. Studios including Chihuly Garden and Glass, Pilchuck Glass School and Tacoma Glassblowing Studio have expressed interest in 40 to 50 tons of recycled batch annually, according to Hilltop Artists.

The City of Tacoma highlighted the program on its official social media accounts Friday, Oct. 9, tying it to Tacoma Arts Month. The annual celebration, now in its 25th year according to The News Tribune, runs all October with events including free museum admission on Thursday, Oct. 15, and the Tacoma Studio Tour on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18.

Residents interested in dropping off glass or attending demonstrations can check hilltopartists.org for upcoming event dates.