We’ve come across some fascinating facts and impressive statistics about glass which reminds us of what an amazing material we work with when using our famous glazing tools, hand cups and more. So pay attention because some of this information could become very useful in a pub quiz one day!

If anyone has any interesting finds to add to this list then let us know via Facebook or Twitter!

  • Glass is the ultimate recyclable material as it can be recycled over and over again without losing its quality. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can power a computer for 30 minutes.
  • When glass breaks, the cracks move at speeds of up to 3,000 miles per hour.
  • Guinness World Record holder Zhang Guowu of China successfully broke 32 pieces of glass in one minute by just flicking them with his finger.
  • Charles VI of France, otherwise known as Charles the Mad, was a sufferer of “glass delusion” disorder. He had hallucinations that he was made of fragile glass so wore iron panels in his clothing and refused to let people touch him in case he shattered into pieces.
  • Terry “Turbo” Burrows from Essex holds the record for being the world’s fastest window cleaner. At 2009’s National Window Cleaning Competition, he cleaned three standard sizes office windows with a 300mm squeegee and 9 litres of water in just 9.14 seconds.
  • Nature can make glass all on its own. Slender glass tubes called “fulgurites” occur when lightning strikes sand and a material called “obsidian” is made when a volcanic eruption fuses rock and sand together.
  • “Breathing” kinetic glass is a truly science-fiction film worthy material which is still being developed in the laboratory.  This “living” glass can help to control the air quality within a room as dynalloy flexinol wires make the holes in the panels open and close like fish gills when triggered by an electrical response to people breathing.