Sustainable Murano Glass - Challenges and Solutions

Murano’s furnaces face a new enemy: energy cost. But innovation is already reshaping the island’s craft.

What’s changing

• Hybrid and electric furnaces for small/medium batches.
• Tighter heat cycles and scheduled melts to avoid idle energy loss.
• More cullet (recycled glass) in mixes where clarity permits.

What won’t change soon

• The need for heat on demand during complex hot work.
• The timing skills that come only from practice; machines don’t replace maestros.

What buyers can do

• Value pieces made in lower‑energy cycles and from recycled stock where appropriate.
• Support workshops training apprentices — sustainability is also social: skills must endure.