Chicago : Fashion : Accessories : Recycled Pins
Recycled Pins

Leave It to Beaver

10.28.2009

Submitted by dsimmons on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 11:00pm.
The Bite:
Looking for an iconic accessory? Re-run to one of 17 local Busy Beaver Button vending machines (yes, vending machines) and grab an artsy pin. Each one's got an original design by a local artist - we heart the Currency-theme series (an old-fashioned nickel, sparkly gems, "I Need Money" saying…), curated by Threadless T-shirt designer Dustin Hostetler. BBB makes 'em using recycled metal and paper in its new space, which's tricked out with geothermal heating and recycled-tire floors. It'll even do a custom bulk order if you want a special design for, say, an event. Swell.
Why Care?: 
Spiffing up tired clothes and bags with accessories made from recycled materials conserves resources and keeps stuff out of landfills (which close at a rate of one a day due to being at or over capacity).
Our friend designed a batch of pins for his 40th (over the hill) birthday party - as a souvenir for guests that completed a four-stop bar crawl over an actual hill.
Wanna Try: 
Busy Beaver Button Co., 3279 W. Armitage Ave. (773-645-3359). Vending-machine pin, $0.50

Map It

Cocktail Fact

The first toilet to appear on network TV was in an episode of Leave It to Beaver (1957), but CBS was so squeamish about showing one that only the toilet tank was in view.

Small Changes Add Up

If 10,000 Chicago Biters buy one accessory made with recycled instead of new metal, we'll keep the weight of 27 Wally Cleavers in useable materials out of landfills.

2 comments
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monica  on October 28, 2009 at 06:04 AM 1
The link with 1028 locations redirects you to a page with no locations. I've looked around the website and cannot find any vending machine locations. Are they only for special order?
Idealbite Team Member dsimmons   on November 06, 2009 at 09:37 AM 2
Just scroll down a bit on the page - the info's at the bottom :)

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