Pull Tab Art & Upcycling

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UPCYCLING

Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which the use of waste materials to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. This process allows for the reduction of waste and use of virgin materials.

"Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value."

The term upcycling was coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.

THE PULL TAB 

History and Evolution

The pull tab was invented in 1959 by a tool maker from Ohio called Ermal Fraze. Legend says he found himself at a picnic, with his beer and no can opener, or churchkey, to open the beer cans.

Since then, the tab has come a long way. By 1965, three quarters of all breweries in the US were using them.

But for all their convenience, the pull tabs were an environmental nightmare. For 10 years people opened cans, ripped off the pull-tabs and threw them to the side because they were encouraged to - there was nothing else to do with these removable metal pieces. Pets and wildlife died from ingesting them, as did a few people who dropped them into a can and accidentally choked on them. They wound up everywhere - from beaches and parks, to playgrounds and garbage disposals. People routinely cut themselves in a time when hand sanitizer wasn't in everyone's pockets.

In 1975, the stay-on tab was invented and now it takes a little more work to take them off.

Tab Art on Flickr 

The New Aluminum Can in Chicago by urbanwoodswalker

The New Aluminum Can...

Accessory 3 ~ Brooch - recycled - Photo 2 of 2 by urbanwoodswalker

Accessory 3 ~ Brooch...

Accessory 3 ~ Brooch - recycled - Photo 1 of 2 by urbanwoodswalker

Accessory 3 ~ Brooch...

Tab Bracelet and Necklace by urbanwoodswalker

Tab Bracelet and Nec...

Tab Bracelet and Necklace by urbanwoodswalker

Tab Bracelet and Nec...

Scrappy Cat on my work desk  ~ 2 o 3 photos by urbanwoodswalker

Scrappy Cat on my wo...

Work Space April 12  ~ 3 o 3 photos by urbanwoodswalker

Work Space April 12...

pop tabs (05-19-08) by sun dazed

pop tabs (05-19-08)

Scrappy Cat  ~ 1 of 3 photos by urbanwoodswalker

Scrappy Cat ~ 1 of...

pop tab collection (10-18-08) by sun dazed

pop tab collection (...

automatically generated by Flickr

Tab Art Videos on YouTube 


Pop tab chain mail

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21522 views
49 Comments:


How to Make a Pop Tab Bracelet

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48338 views
45 Comments:


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Pop Can Tab Belts

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5155 views
12 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Links to Pull Tab Art 

The WWWW (Wonderful World Wide Web) is full of beautiful work, upcycling the pull tabs. Here are just a few...
Chery'ls Art Box
Jewelry and art with pop tabs
Urbanwoodswalker Etsy Shop
Art with aluminum cans and pull tabs (and other found objects)
Pop Top Lady's Shop
Pull Tab Crochet
Brad C Taylor's Pull Tab Art
Flickr photostream
Inhabitat
Weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Art and Design with recycled materials

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by PopTopLady

Teacher, Crafter, Wife, Mother (not necessarily in that order).

I was born and raised in the south of Brazil. Moved to Canada in 1993, to the US in 1... (more)

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