RECYCLED JEWELLERY

KATE HAMILTON-HUNTER

Above: Recycled vintage tin jewellery

Kate Hamilton-Hunter uses recycled biscuit tins, tea caddies, sweet tins, toffee and tobacco tins in her jewellery designs. After 4 years in college and five years teaching Art & Design, a career change was brought about for Kate through the discovery of metal. She started with aluminium, copper and brass, but she soon discovered a new material to make jewellery from – recycled and reclaimed biscuit tins. Kate says "Friends and family give us lots of them, especially after Christmas, and we buy more from charity shops, antique shops and bay." Next time you have a Spring clean, don't throw away any old tis that you think Kate could use! send them over to her studio.

Above: Recycled vintage tin cuff-links

LARGEST RECYCLED ARTWORK

In a bid to encourage consumers to recycle their cans and bottles the world's largest recycled artwork was created. 200,000 aluminium cans were used to create this piece in East Sussex to mark Recycle Week June 2009. Transforming thousands of used aluminium cans collected from around the UK, the sculpture, called Precious Metal, took a team of artists a week to complete and can only be fully viewed from the air. The artwork is inspired by a classic 1949 summer poster from the Coca-Cola archives of a swimsuit-clad lady relaxing in the sun. It was led by the award-winning Cornish sculptor Robert Bradford.

HAVE A COKE

I was particularly interested in the use of discarded coke cans, bottles and bottle tops, as so many of these items are thrown away each day! I managed to find some wonderful pieces.

Clifton Suspension Bridge out of coke cans by Stuart Murdoch

This dress is fantastic, I only wish I knew the name of the artist.

Big Ben out of coke cans by Robert Bradford

Big Ben out of coke cans by Robert Bradford

Coke Bottle Tops Fish Sculptures by John T. Unger

RECYCLING FACT:

An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!

THINK BEFORE YOU THROW

A typical family consumes 26 gallons of bottled water, 182 gallons of canned drinks, 104 gallons of milk a year!

We can recycle these items (as we should), but if we think about it we could also make things out of them.

Before you throw away just think!

Have a look here at these people that have put these containers to good creative use.

I also am a HUGE fan of Elbow Grease Designs (two images above). Everything on her site has been designed and; hand sewn in the San Francisco Bay Area from discarded vinyl signs and banners. Originally printed for local trade shows, conventions, municipal or private advertising, these ENORMOUS banners would otherwise end up in the landfill. Jenny Say's "It is our goal to make beautiful and practical items out of what has been discarded".

Harriete Estel Berman Makes wonderful teacups, pots, jewellery, sculptues all out used food packaging. The cups above were constructed from recycled tin cans.

I love the look of this Fishing tackle by Tedd McDonanah. I actually think they would also make great keyrings!

I even love the above artwork created by Children out of food packaging.

RECYCLE ART

'5 Teacups' made out of recycled tin.

by the Califorian Artist Harriete Estel Berman