Everything starts in 2011 when Smiler, a convinced environmentalist, came back to Italy, after a few years around the world, to marry her boyfriend Ale. They organized the first italian eco wedding, covered by hundreds of newspapers, blogs, websites and by Rai, Italy's national public service station.  After this big success Smiler, Ale and some friends founded an environmental non-profit organization called “Let’s Eco Party”. To support their activities, they started a project called “I’m Back – Giving waste a second chance”. Ring, earring, necklace and much more. Everything was created from recycled waste materials.  In 2012, Smiler was looking for a waste material not yet used in fashion and highly polluting. After careful research and analysis, she became aware of bottle caps waste as a big problem. So the idea to create a bags brand, using this waste material.   The new eco-fashion bag was called Tappo Bag (tappo, in italian, means bottle cap). We are the creators of this original work, protected by copyright. We collect waste materials and turn them into one-of-kind and limited edition products. Our bags are completely hand crafted, cruelty free and could be customized on request.   Each bottle cap is cleaned and sterilized, pierced with a precision drill and weaved with other ones. After that, we sew the bag and bottle caps on it. We need from 4 hours of work to 4 days to create just one TappoBag.   With over 13 different bags and accessories to choose from, plus over 20 different fabric possibilities and 30 different models of bottle caps, you can design a bag for yourself that is totally unique. The best part of designing your own bag is that we will do the legwork for you. You don't have to worry about sewing and stitching.  In January 2013, we've presented our project at Berlin Fashion Week (Ethical Fashion Show) and we started a collaboration with Open Design City at Betahaus in Berlin. In February 2013 we've been selected for Camden Lock Market in London and from March 2013 we've been invited to show our collection everywhere. In November 2013 we’ve been selected from Wowcracy for Vogue Talents v.2.  Each bag prevents, from 20 to 230 bottle caps, from ending up in landfills. We have partnered with bars and restaurants in Tuscany to repurpose unwanted bottle caps. Instead of having their bottle caps end up in landfills, we reuse them to make our bags. With our work, we would like to increase awareness and providing solutions to the problems bottle caps cause to wildlife and humans alike. A worldwide problem.  It's true: bottle caps keep the products we use everyday clean, fresh and safe. But bottle caps often become litter in our oceans, streams and beaches. Every year countless birds, mammals and sea turtles die from ingesting caps and other plastic debris. Little caps floating in the water can look like an easy meal for a wide variety of wildlife from fish and sea turtles to marine birds. Even in a landfill, bottle caps still pose a threat to animals such as seagulls, which scavenge through the masses of trash looking for food.   It’s time to do something! We want live in a healthier, cleaner and more peaceful planet!