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Mallorca is known around the world for being an earthly paradise that combines dreamlike beaches with spectacular mountain trails. In a secluded corner of this pearl of the Mediterranean lies one of only three blown glass factories currently operating in Spain. There, every day, its six master craftsmen create top quality handcrafted products from scratch, exporting a little piece of Mallorca’s essence and identity all over the world.
Still don’t know which factory we are talking about? The star of this post is Lafiore! Today we want to give you all the details of the sustainable collaboration that RIU Hotels & Resorts has had, since 2023, with this famous Mallorcan factory. Come with us!
Lafiore: the factory that creates handcrafted designer products from scratch
La Fiore was founded in 1964 as a factory specialising in the design and production of handcrafted glass products on the same island where RIU came into being more than seventy years ago. Not only do they share the same birthplace, they are both family businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation. In this factory, different materials began to be developed using two types of techniques: flat glass and blown glass. Did you know that the latter, an ancient technique, was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2023? Almost nothing!
Who better to explain all the details of this new method than Sònia Torres, the factory’s project manager: “the glassblowing technique starts by melting the material in a melting furnace at 1200 degrees. The master craftsmen blow the glass and shape the product to finish the process in a cooling ark. This is how we can create artisanal products such as the Mallorcan oil bottle, decorative and household items, and all kinds of sophisticated pieces.”
Customers from all over the world, from Germany to the United States, come to this charming factory, which is located next to Valldemossa, one of the most beautiful spots in the Tramuntana mountain range, to see how the glass is melted on site, or to choose innovative, high quality handcrafted products to decorate their homes.
What does the collaboration project between Lafiore and RIU entail?
Now that you know the story of Lafiore, let us tell you how we have been involved with them. In 2023, the ‘We are Circular’ initiative was launched, in which other hotel chains also participate. This innovative sustainable project consists of converting non-returnable transparent glass bottles into unique pieces for the hotels. In the case of RIU, the recycled bottles from all our hotels in Playa de Palma are collected, destroyed and then transformed into tableware and crockery that you will find in our Krystal restaurants, located in our Riu Palace hotels. Don’t you fancy enjoying a mouth-watering appetiser from one of these marvellous handmade pieces?
Sònia tells us all about how this process works: “The bottles from the hotels are put into specific containers so that they can be collected by us on a weekly basis. They must be completely colourless so that they do not affect the design. Once the bottles arrive at the factory, they are melted and our master craftsmen bring them back to life, closing the circle and creating zero-kilometre products with added value for the customer. ”
In 2024 alone, RIU delivered 16,008 kg of glass, creating 15,208 kg of new pieces for the hotels and avoiding 10,636 kg of CO2 emissions!
Naturally, this action is part of our RIU Proudly Committed sustainability strategy.
