The $240 Trash Bag

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

When you think about it, that saying can be applied to almost anything – cars, movies, our old girlfriends.

But taking pull tabs from soda and beer cans and turning them into stylish handbags—well that’s something completely different.

Then again, fashion isn’t exactly our forte.

But what women wouldn’t want a handbag that’s technically made from trash? Wait, don’t answer that.

Actually, Escama Studio in San Francisco has sold 70,000 of these bags so far. The price range: $39 for a small handbag to $240 for a shoulder bag.

The cool thing is that Escama Studio works with two craft cooperatives in Brazil that are located in economically depressed areas.

Before you get the wrong idea, Escama is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and is committed to providing fair wages and employment to economically disadvantaged artisans.

These cooperatives provide an opportunity for local women to earn money by using their handicraft skills.

In fact, these ladies are so skilled that, at first glance, you’d never believe the bags were made from aluminum pull tabs.

So not only are the handbags made from recycled material, they’re also good for the environment.

We might not know a lot about fashion, but we know a guilt-free shopping spree when we see one.