Every year over 810,000 office chairs are thrown away in the UK alone. While it’s easier to recycle some of the small parts of the chairs, a lot of the bulkier elements end up in landfill sites. Birmingham City University student Thomas Howell Jones examined the larger parts to see how they could be recycled and decided that the backrests were ideal as hard-shell backpacks and bicycle panniers. The backrests act as a protective shell, and are waterproof and impact-proof, making them the ideal carrying device for cyclists. The idea has won an award at the RSA Student Designs Awards.
Recycling and upcycling is a hot trend at the moment. So what else that we all throw away on a daily basis might be turned into something useful?