Materials

Our
50-100 can pull tabs* Purpose Photo taken by Paola Berenguer

Paracord**

UPCYCLED
Sanding paper The purpose of the upcycled dog
collar is to combine sustainability with DOG COLLAR
style. This collar is made with readily
Presented by
available materials and provides a
comfortable and functional alternative Natalie J Maldonado Santiago
Optional: a lighter*** that distributes force evenly Paola A Berenguer Lopez
preventing hot spots compared to a Clara S Vazquez Jusino
traditional rope loop. Joel A Santiago Rios
*(The quantity will depend on the size of
the pet) Luis Martínez Santiago
**Or any other type of strong, durable
string. You will need about twice the
INGL4021-L03
length of your pets neck circumference Prof. Pier Le Compte
***For melting the ends of the paracord to
prevent fraying.
Contact us
What is Upcycling? 1. natalie.maldonado10@upr.edu
Upcycling is a creative 2. paola.berenguer@upr.edu
and sustainable way of
transforming waste 3. clara.vazquez1@upr.edu
materials or unwanted 4. joel.santiago10@upr.edu
products into new and
valuable items. 5. luis.martinez59@upr.edu
Icon taken from:
https://www.flaticon.com/free-
icon/upcycling_8087104

Instructions with
can pull tabs
What are we going
to do?
1. Carefully remove the pull tabs
from the soda cans, then,
remove any sharp edges using
sanding paper. Rinse them
thoroughly and let them dry.
2. Measure your dog's neck. Then,
cut a piece of paracord that's
about twice the length of that
measurement. Make sure it is
long enough to be comfortable
to your dog.
3. Thread the paracord through
the top hole of the first pull
tab as shown in figure 1. Leave
a few inches of paracord on
one end for tying off later.
Figure 1
Mxliving. (2015b, August 27).
7. Thread the paracord back
through the first few pull tabs
to create a loop. This will be
where you attach your leash.
4. Thread the paracord
8. Tie off the ends of the
through the bottom hole of the
same pull tab and pull it tightly
paracord. If you're using
to secure the pull tab in place.
synthetic paracord, you can
use a lighter to melt the ends
You should now have a loop on
and prevent fraying.
top of the pull tab and a
9. Check the fit on your dog. It
straight piece of paracord on
should be snug, but not too
the bottom.
tight.
5. Take the next pull tab and
10. Final product in figure 4.
thread the paracord through
the bottom of the second tab
hole, the paracord should also
go through the first tab as
shown in figure 2.
Figure 2
Mxliving. (2015b, August 27).
Figure 4
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you Photo taken by Paola Berenguer
have a chain of pull tabs (like
figure 3) that's long enough to
comfortably fit around your dog's
neck. Remember, you should be
able to fit two fingers between
WARNING: Remember that
the collar and your dog's neck. this not a replacement for
a sturdy, professionally
made dog collar, especially
for larger or stronger dogs.
Ensure proper hand safety
during assembly to avoid any
potential sharp edges that
may cause injuries.
Figure 3
Photo taken by Joel Santiago
Idea adapted from Mxliving.