The process for making recycled glass beads is centuries old. Today, it is the Krobo tribe that carries on the tradition of African bead making that is not only remarkable but also environmentally friendly. While each individual artisan may customize the process to their own style, the procedure for making recycled glass beads has a number of essential steps. First scrap glass from any number of sources is pounded to make a fine powder. Next, this powder is transferred to specialized clay mold with a plant stem in the center to preserve an opening in the future bead. After this, the mold is fired inside an oven often made from termite clay. At elevated temperatures, the glass particles fuse into one piece and the plant stem burns off to reveal an opening through the bead. These beads are most commonly found in Ghana since this is where the Krobo people traditionally have lived.