Just under two weeks before Indianapolis' Super Bowl XLVI, we were contacted by the NFL regarding the salvage of all the fabric, vinyl, and fence wrap that was installed throughout Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center. When 49 pallet boxes (an estimated 5 miles of material!) showed up at our warehouse after the game we knew this would be one of our largest undertakings. We started incorporating event banner materials into our products and have been working with amazing national and local organizations to upcycle these materials ever since. Hear from one of our recent partners, IndyHumane, on why they chose to upcycle their event banners into this purrrty line of products. Indy folks, you can purchase these bags at the Mutt Strut tomorrow!

Indy is an amazing city!  My husband and I settled here in 1987, coming from a small town in northern Indiana.  We were immediately amazed by the number of local organizations coming together to support one another.  A respect for animals, the environment and historic preservation has become part of our/my ethic. Sourcing recycled and upcycled products, shopping small and supporting local business led me to discover PUP!

The environmental and economic, as well as the historical impact and nostalgia factor of upcycling and repurposing discarded materials makes People for Urban Progress one of my favorite Indy organizations.  One can see the craftsmanship, care, and attention to detail that goes into each bag. Using “discarded” materials is a reason that some people (me) collect them over the years (eight pieces and counting…). You can't get something this special and unique at any department store. These bags are a very real reminder of how our city has evolved, and yet embraces the icons of Indy!

I've been working in animal welfare for 30 years in Indianapolis area from an early gig at FACE, more than four years at IACS and another ten at IndyHumane, among others! IndyHumane has been evolving to serve Indianapolis for nearly 115 years. We've seen lots of improvements for animals in our field, and in our city. Because I live the reduce, reuse, recycle ethic (just ask my colleagues!), I began hoarding IndyHumane banners about four years ago, knowing eventually, someone could make something really brilliant out them. It was shameful to throw these banners away after all the planning that goes into organizing any massive community event like the signature event for IndyHumane: Mutt Strut.

Our team reached out to PUP to see if we could be part of the iconic line of bags the organization creates out of Indy history.  PUP readily agreed and you won’t believe what was created! Just like no two pets are quite the same, none of these bags are the same. We can find more banners to recycle, but we could never recreate these exact bags.  Indyhumane will unveil this collection at Mutt Strut, on April 27th, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  We wanted to offer something really special, iconic if you will, to the thousands of supporters who come out each year to walk the track, meet fellow pet lovers and support the mission of IndyHumane.

I hope our supporters, volunteers, and staff can be proud to show them off! PUP and IndyHumane certainly are!