At present, glass is the only remaining material that Silo recycles, which still has a negative impact on the environment given the resources needed to melt and repurpose the material.
Owner Doug McMaster aims to raise £8,000 on crowdfunding website Crow2Fund to purchase a bottle crusher and polisher.
These will be used to prepare glass granules from the restaurant’s used bottles, which local Brighton potter Mark Caivol will use to make porcelain crockery.
McMaster aims to raise an additional £2,000 for product development, and a further £2,000 to purchase wine barrels, further eradicating the need for glass.
At present, the campaign has raised £3,000 of its target from nine investors, with 40 days remaining.
McMaster is offering several investor rewards, including a 50% Silo voucher of the value donated and a free porcelain or glass item from Mark Caivol’s pottery business, Potters Thumb for those who invest up to £49.
Larger donations see the investor rewarded gifts including a free meal; free pottery classes; reductions on commissions or items at the pottery shop; and discounts for future visits.
“Turning our waste wine bottles into fine crockery would be a remarkable increase of value. Comparatively, this idea is the same as turning food waste into compost,” says McMaster.
“If we can raise the money to buy the equipment, this will take ‘zero-waste’ to a whole new level.”
Silo first used Crowd2Fund four years ago, raising £48,000 of equity finance to incorporate a working relationship with The Tres Hombres, a specialist shipping company which exclusively transports cargo with wind and sea power.
It now receives all of its rum and chocolate without any waste or carbon footprint.
The restaurant uses an onsite composter to turn all food scraps into compost used to grow produce, and all of its deliveries come in reusable containers.