A Richmond, Va., handbag maker has introduced a line of purses made out of the inner tubes of used off-road truck and tractor tires.

Passchal Products collects and cleans the tires, soaking them in an "Earth-friendly" solution to remove the years of grit and to neutralize the rubber smell, according to Ken Kobrick of Passchal.

Kobrick and his partner Angela Greene are able to get seven or eight purses from each truck inner tube. The duo combines the die-cut rubber shapes with leather trims of different colors to create the handbags, which are sewn using industrial equipment. The bags also include Smartlyte, which illuminates the interior of the bag when opened, to help the user quickly access items.

The rubber handbags are attracting the attention of celebrities, as well. They were included in the 2004 Billboard Awards goody bags and will be featured as the goodie bag during the Olympus Fashion Week Call-2-Recycle Retreat sponsored by environmentalist and "eco-stylist" Danny Seo this September in New York City. Seo is partnering with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. to encourage Fashion Week attendees to recycle their cell phones.

SCRAPPY SCULPTURES

American Iron, Minneapolis, has announced the winners of its fifth annual Art of Recycling metal sculpture competition.

All of the artwork in the competition is made from scrap metal that American Iron makes available to local artists. Contestants receive one hour to select raw materials from American Iron’s main yard and have five weeks to create their sculpture.

Entries are displayed at Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis in conjunction with the Minneapolis Aquatennial Celebration