Eco Fashion Trend of the Week: Pop Top Purses

Brazilian artisan Neide Ambrosio's "Twin Power" pop top purse. Image from Novica.com

We know we shouldn’t drink too much soda. We also know we should recycle. So why are our landfills still overflowing with aluminum cans? It will take each can hundreds, if not thousands of years to decompose unless it’s exposed to acidic rainfall or soil conditions. But opportunity can often be found in a crisis. Some eco fashion entrepreneurs are making pop top purses out of the discarded cans.

Eco designers take used pop tops, wash them, file away the rough edges, and string them together to craft elegant, eye-catching pop top purses and other items. Most pop top purses you’ll find are, of course, lined with sturdy material, and even have interior pockets and sections to store goodies, just like a designer handbag.

You’ll find a number of pop top purse crafters and artisans on Etsy.com selling them for reasonable prices. Pop top purses are also the signature product of Escama Studio, whose line includes belts, elegant necklaces and even guitar straps. The tabs are woven together with macrame, crocheted, or connected with another sturdy material. Escama Studio prefers to use shiny silver crochet yarn, to underline the effect of the aluminum, but plenty of designers set off the aluminum with different colored yarns.

Making pop top purses has also helped hundreds of women in countries such as Uganda who are looking to pull themselves out of poverty, or get back on their feet after personal tragedy.

If you’re looking for your next green gig, you could do worse than check out pop top purse creators. This trend is booming, and many companies are already expanding their lines, looking to reach more eco fashionistas, help women around the world, and reduce our geological footprint.

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