When we think of recycling, we usually envision of piles of stinky trash being compressed or melted down into some sort of goo, and then being molded into an entirely new shape for its "second life."
But there's a far more efficient way to recycle – finding a way to reuse materials in their original form, without the energy required to break it down and build it back up again.  Designer Michelle Brand is doing that right now with her funky yet beautiful Cascade Chandelier, a '70's inspired waterfall of plastic, pop art flowers that are actually made from the bottoms of plastic soda bottles.

Like many designers who use their talents to draw attention to cultural issues, Brand designed her chandelier "to challenge this wasteful paradigm" that "once a plastic drinks bottle is empty, it's seen as redundant."   Brand collects, cleans and disinfects the bottles, and uses a machine to remove the bottoms.  She trims each one by hand with a scalpel to clean up the edges, creating perfectly refined flower forms.  She then strings them together in whatever length the customer requests (they are made to order) using the transparent connectors used to attach price tags to clothing.  The result is a beautiful, ethereal object made completely from garbage.    It's more than a statement.  It's art.