A San Fracisco-based company called Escama Studios has worked together with a group of female artisans in Brazil to create a lovely collection of fashion accessories that utilize aluminum can pull-tabs.  

Every accessory in this line is carefully designed and crafted by each Brazilian artisan, ensuring that each piece is one of a kind.  The artisans extract the pull tabs from aluminum beverage containers and crochet and stitch the tabs into their creation of a new, yet recycled accessory.  This cooperative of Brazilian artisans enables women in the community to earn a living by producing these unique pieces of wearable art. 

Check out Escama Studio's website for more information about this line of recycled fashion accessories. 

Based on today’s London Metal Exchange market, the retail price for used beverage cans is around $.35 per pound.  The day’s wholesale price for mills is around $.49 per pound.  The retail price refers to the amount charged to store customers, such as at a scrap metal buy-back center.  The wholesale price describes the amount paid by large sheet mills buying large quantities of used beverage cans. 

Disclaimer:
• Wholesale Prices shown are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for used aluminum beverage cans in bales or briquettes in truckload lots delivered to aluminum sheet mills in the USA.
• Quality specifications are subject to the unique requirements of each mill.
• Retail Prices are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for loose or flattened used aluminum beverages cans delivered to local scrap buyers.
• Quality and prices will vary by region and sellers are advised to consult with local scrap buyers for specific market conditions.

This week's question on the EPA's blog Greenversations asks visitors to comment on how they will handle their holiday waste. This question if very pertinent since our consumption level of products generally increases during this time of year with so many social gatherings and presents.  Read other responses and write your own comments on their page. 

Happy New Year!

A San Francisco-based corporate watchdog organization called As You Sow recently issued its 2008 U.S. Beverage Container Recycling Scorecard, which is an evaluation of the recycling efforts of leading beverage producers in the U.S. 

As You Sow produced the Scorecard based on responses from their recycling survey and information gathered directly from company websites and social responsiblity reports. 

For more information about this report, check out the entire scorecard report. 

The North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistanceis teaming up with Time Warner to create a new commercial for their recycling website entitled RE3--short for reduce, reuse, recycle.  They are looking for actors between the ages of 18-21 years old and you will need to apply by January 5, 2009.  Visit their RE3 website to learn more about this opportunity, and to check out their recycling commercials from a contest they held a few years ago.  Have a look at this recycling commercial called "Mobsters".  

In 1959, the Aluminum Corporation of America released a pamphlet outlining the joys of owning an aluminum Christmas tree called "How to Decorate Your New Aluminum Christmas Tree." Also included were tips on tree safety, displaying your tree and how to create ornaments for your aluminum tree.  For your enjoyment, we have searched Alcoa's Technical Library and found the original pamphlet Alcoa printed in the 1950's. 

Introduced to the market in 1959 by the Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the aluminum Christmas tree soon became a staple in people's homes at Christmas time.  Aluminum trees had a unique, "modern" look that appealed to consumers during the Space Age.  The trees were easy to set up and take down.  They also did not require the stringing of lights, due to the potential of electrical shock.  Instead, lighting was provided separately by a rotating color wheel- a spotlight with three or four colored lenses that changed the apparent color of the tree as the lens rotated in front of the light. 

Based on today’s London Metal Exchange market, the retail price for used beverage cans is around $.25 per pound.  The day’s wholesale price for mills is around $.40 per pound.  The retail price refers to the amount charged to store customers, such as at a scrap metal buy-back center.  The wholesale price describes the amount paid by large sheet mills buying large quantities of used beverage cans. 

Disclaimer:
• Wholesale Prices shown are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for used aluminum beverage cans in bales or briquettes in truckload lots delivered to aluminum sheet mills in the USA.
• Quality specifications are subject to the unique requirements of each mill.
• Retail Prices are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for loose or flattened used aluminum beverages cans delivered to local scrap buyers.
• Quality and prices will vary by region and sellers are advised to consult with local scrap buyers for specific market conditions.

The chart below represents the comparison of used beverage can (UBC) reclamation rates in the US from 2007 and the most up to date totals for 2008.  The total for UBCs recycled this year through November amounts to 1,342.6 million pounds compared to 1,380.7 million pounds from January-November of 2007, which is a decline of 2.8%. 

Based on today’s London Metal Exchange market, the retail price for used beverage cans is around $.24 per pound.  The day’s wholesale price for mills is around $.39 per pound.  The retail price refers to the amount charged to store customers, such as at a scrap metal buy-back center.  The wholesale price describes the amount paid by large sheet mills buying large quantities of used beverage cans. 

Disclaimer:
• Wholesale Prices shown are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for used aluminum beverage cans in bales or briquettes in truckload lots delivered to aluminum sheet mills in the USA.
• Quality specifications are subject to the unique requirements of each mill.
• Retail Prices are indicative prices only, and are not an offer to buy from Alcoa or its representatives.
• Prices are for loose or flattened used aluminum beverages cans delivered to local scrap buyers.
• Quality and prices will vary by region and sellers are advised to consult with local scrap buyers for specific market conditions.

Have a look at Pepsi's newly designed recycling website which contains lots of fun recycling features such as tips and factoids about recycling, a gallery of Pepsi can creations, and options for how to change your friends' non-recycling ways.  This website was created in partnership with Live Earth.