Recycled Aluminum Pulltabs Made Popular By The Brazilian Cooperative “Escama Studio”

Craft cooperatives, also known as social enterprises, are now finding new means to empower members of their communities to earn money.

“Escama Studio”, which means fish scales in Portuguese, is a Brazilian craft cooperative offering women in the ‘satellite cities’ of Brasília business practices in hand production of bags using recycled aluminum pulltabs as main raw material.

Escama Studio’s craftwomen

The craftswomen receive business training and are fairly paid for their piecework with a price set by the cooperative. Escama’s purses are as ethical and eco-friendly as they are made entirely from recycled materials – some of the bags uses over 700 aluminum pull-tabs recycled from soda cans in Brazil. Each piece comes with a hang tag bearing the signature of the person who made it. On their website the artist profiles and picture are made available to the public, where you could leave a message to the artist.  In addition, Escama donates 3 percent of gross annual sales directly back to the cooperatives.

Escama Studio’s handbags and their respective craftwomen’s name

“Stay-on-tab” pulltab version used in the production of handbags

The majority of the beverage cans’ pulltabs used in the production of the eco-friendly handbags are made of aluminium (75 percent). Another more rare material used to produce pulltabs is tin-plated steel, which accounts for the rest of the worldwide production of pulltabs (25 percent). These pulltabs are known as “stay-on-tab”, invented by Ermal Fraze and Omar Brown. The “stay-on-tab” version features the “easy-open ecology end” which replaced old plain lids (known as shells) in order to reduce injuries and roadside litter caused by removable tabs. The mechanism uses a separate tab attached to the upper surface as a lever to depress a scored part of the lid, which folds underneath the top of the can and out of the way of the resulting opening.

Worldwide production for all beverage cans is approximately 475 billion cans per year worldwide, 100 billion per year in the US, 52 billion per year in Europe, growing about 3 percent annually. Recycling the aluminum pulltabs is definitely a clever and very creative way that actually makes you feel like you are doing something positive for the planet.

Shanghai Metal Corporation does not take any part in the handbag purchase. We are proud of initiatives such as Escama Studio as an empowering cooperative bringing hope and happiness to the community and the society as a whole.

Escama Studio’s handbag collection

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide array of aluminum sheet (aluminum plate) used in the production of beverage can, caps and ring-pull. For our full list of products that we offer check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, and Twitter. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

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Sources: inhabitat.com, Wikipedia

Pictures: escama.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Licenses Plates are Vital for Society to Function Properly

Licenses plates have been used to identify registered drivers and distinguish natives from different regions. Plates are vital to law enforcement all over the world in times of emergencies and entertaining to road trippers as they make their way thousands of miles by highway. To some, it is a way they are differentiate themselves from the other drivers on the road and can show loyalty to such causes or sports teams they support. For government officials, it is used to make sure vehicles are registered properly and that the vehicle is safe to be on the road. Whether it be a puny phrases for individuals, classification for government officials, or classification for taxi drivers; licenses plates are key to any functioning society.

Government agencies are not the only consumers of sublimation aluminum sheets. Plates and signs are also purchased by designers and are mounted in homes, garages, bars, and restaurants all over the world. Road signs capture audience’s attention and can create good vibes for venues because people are not used to seeing them in setting outside the road. Travelers purchase signs as souvenirs to make trips more memorable, every time they see the sign it will bring them right back to their vacation.

Global seafood restaurant chain Bubba Gump Shrimp Company inspired by Paramount Picture’s movie “Forrest Gump,” uses red and blue plates to signal to servers whether guests need something (red) or they are content (blue).

Shanghai Metal Corporation manufactures aluminum used to create such plates, signs, and information boards. We provide the highest standard of quality at a competitive price. Whatever your vision may be, let us assist you! Check out more information on sublimation aluminum sheets and be sure to join the conversation by joining our LinkedIn group and following our twitter feed.