A Gasparilla Day float called the "re-cycle-dales" features two life-size Clydesdale head figures made out of Budweiser beer cans.
"I believe the re-cycle-dales are going to be a big hit," Pepin Distributing marketing director Bill Gieseking said.
Gieseking said Pepin Distributors, Budweiser and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful teamed up to contract Tampa artist Terry Klaaren to build the sculpture because this is the first year in a decade the Clydesdales were not available for the parade.
"Anheuser Bush and Budweiser have a major event somewhere (else) in the country," Gieseking said. "They're not giving us any indication of where. ... But all three of the Budweiser Clydesdale hitches were booked. I had to come up with something."
Klaaren said it took him about six weeks and 3,000 beer cans to construct the float.
"Every beer can was hand flattened with a wooden mallet," Klaaren said. "We punched a couple of holes in it and then sewed it onto the mesh with stainless steel wire. I found beer cans to be a great sculpture medium."
Gieseking said the vision for the float was Clydesdales emerging from a wave of water collecting recyclables in the wake.
"Just a nice image of taking the garbage out of the water," Klaaren said.
The local artist has been sculpting and painting in the Tampa Bay area for the past 40 years. Klaaren built the "Recyclosaurus" at MOSI and has murals around the world.
Gieseking said the re-cycle-dales float has eco facts on the base and 300 volunteers will help keep the Gasparilla parade perimeter clean.
"It'll help our community understand just how important it is to recycle in Tampa Bay," he said.
The re-cycle-dales float is No. 39 in the parade, which was set for 2 p.m. today.