The Pop Tab Project - More than 30,000 Pop Tabs collected to create Prosthetic Limbs

FROM ALUMINIUM POP TABS TO PROSTHETIC LIMBSStudents collect 30,000 pop tabs in aid of Prostheses Foundation in Thailand

Students of IACT College unveiled a sculpture of the Petronas Twin Towers made entirely out of pop tabs and aluminium cans during the closing ceremony of The Pop Tab Project on Thursday.  

The event named ‘Pop Tab Thursday’ was aimed to educate students on how aluminium pop tabs can be recycled to create prosthetic limbs for those in need. The sculpture was built as part of the campaign’s initial goal of collecting more than 10 000 pop tabs. However, The Pop Tab Project managed to exceed their goal and has collected more than 30 000 pop tabs.

Final touch by Mr Vincent Wong Wai Sang, Political Secretary, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department to complete the sculpture of Petronas Twin Towers which made of aluminium pop tabs

Mr Vincent Wong Wai Sang, Political Secretary, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department officiating the closing of The Pop Tab Project

The event was graced by Mr Vincent Wong Wai Sang, Political Secretary, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department, who officiated the closing of the campaign by placing the final pop tab onto the sculpture.

The Pop Tab Project is a student-led and student-run campaign that seeks to collect as many pop tabs as possible to be recycled into prosthetic limbs. The pop tabs will then be donated to the Prostheses Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Thailand that collects these tabs and combines them with steel to produce affordable and eco-friendly parts for those in need.

“Creating prosthetic limbs from recycled pop tabs can reduce the cost by a whopping 90 per cent. Just by one simple effort, imagine how people like you and I can make prosthetic limbs a reality for amputees all around the world,” said Nicholas Lee, the Academic Director of IACT College. 

A mock ‘pop tab cheque’ representing 30,000 pop tabs was presented to the Leo Club, who will then hand the collected pop tabs to the Prostheses Foundation in Thailand

This campaign was a joint effort between The Pop Tab Project and the Leo Club of SMK Assunta. During the event, a mock ‘pop tab cheque’ representing 30,000 pop tabs was presented to the Leo Club, who will then hand the collected pop tabs to the Prostheses Foundation in Thailand.

Over the course of the campaign, the students promoted this cause on social media and organised an array of activities within campus to encourage students to take part in the donation of pop tabs. Garage sales were also held in the college to help raise funds.

Jensen Wong walked away with a pair of tickets to the Wicked Festival 2013 for donating the biggest collection of pop tabs for The pop Tap Project.

In hopes of raising awareness, a contest for the highest donation of pop tabs was held among students in which participants had a chance to win a pair of tickets to the ‘Wicked Festival 2013’, a rave festival in Sepang featuring world-renowned DJs such as DJ Axwell and Zedd. The contest was open to students of IACT College as well as colleges around Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

The Pop Tab Project also collaborated with various food outlets throughout the campaign. From myBurgerlab in Petaling Jaya, to a restaurant from the Manjung District in Perak named ‘Rong Cheng’; these food avenues contributed by donating their pop tabs and aluminium cans to help the campaign reach its goals.

“To think that something as simple as pop tabs can make someone’s life more meaningful is truly humbling. We are glad that we could help the campaign reach its goals,” said Mr Ding Ho Hock, founder of ‘Rong Cheng’.

The Prostheses Foundation in Thailand has garnered interest regionally, but has yet to gain much recognition from Malaysians. The Pop Tab Project hopes that fellow young Malaysians would recognise a need to help others, should it just be through donating pop tabs, however small or large the numbers may be.

Reusing pop tabs in this regard not only benefits the environment; it requires minimal effort on our part to make a change in the lives of the less fortunate amputees around the world.

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The Pop Tab Project is a campaign organized by a group of Mass Communication students as part of their final project for the subject of ‘Publicity and Media Relations’. The project is led by fourteen aspiring students from IACT College who believe that the potential and power of youth can help make the world a better place by raising awareness for the collection of pop tabs in Malaysia.

For more information on The Pop Tab Project, kindly visit http://www.facebook.com/thepoptabprojector; to find out more on the Prostheses Foundation in Thailand, please visit http://www.prosthesesfoundation.or.th/en/.

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