Red Dot Project

Anita Tucker recently clued us in on a startling statistic.

“According to Greenopolis.com, of the 300 million cases of wine sold each year in the United States, almost none of the bottles are reused and 70 percent end up in landfills,” she says.

We’re accustomed to seeing every new plastic water bottle as a blight on the planet, but it’s a little head-spinning to think of wine bottles in the same way. They’re so attractively made and beautifully labeled. Some of us have bought wine of uncertain quality based solely on the beauty of the packaging!

Well, Tucker understands — and she’s doing her part to preserve that beauty.

By day, she does marketing and promotion for independent artists and arts organizations. By the other part of her day, she operates wine2wick, selling upcycled wine and liquor bottles that she cuts by hand and fills with soy candles. She sells them at several home-decorating stores locally. They’re also part of the decor at the PNC SmartHome, which is on display through this week in University Circle.

“I come from a long line of ecology-minded creative thinkers, and have always valued the principles of treating the earth with respect and re-using and recycling whenever possible,” Tucker says. “Creating something long-lasting, fun and functional from a bottle that has served its original purpose clicks with me – and with wine2wick patrons.”

The earth-friendly nature of the candles is obvious.

“I proudly leave friends’ homes toting empties and have worked with restaurants to collect their empties,” she says. “The soy-based wax I use is earth-friendlier than petroleum-based waxes and supports the farming industry. ”

Tucker also buys supplies locally whenever possible.

The candles, along with works by other SmartHome artists and designers, will be part of the SmartSale from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday Oct. 9. The SmartHome sits adjacent to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle.