IEEE Computer Society Chapter – INSAT Student Branch shares the message of recycling and re-usage

The term eco-friendly isn’t new. A big buzz is happening around these two words, with the meaning, importance and responsibility that carry on. Eco-friendly cars – products – technology are some of the first results while making a fast Google Search. But, what about an eco-friendly behavior?

IEEE Computer Society Chapter – INSAT Student Branch, has been engaged with an eco-friendly behavior during this year’s IEEE Xtreme , which led to art creation by Flayou. A different chair, was created completely by the green bottles collected during the IEEE Xtreme.

Zied Moalla from IEEE Computer Society Chapter – INSAT Student Branch, spoke with Region 8 Today, about the chapter’s eco-friendly behavior but also how this led to a new piece or art.

How important is recycling?

As we all know, the global environmental situation is alarming today. Mass extinction, diseases, severe pollution and global warming are threatening our existence, therefore it is our duty to protect our environment and limit our littering habits. Recycling is then, one remarkably effective remedy to reduce non degradable waste.

What’s the message you’re willing to share by such a creative act?

Beyond this act, our chapter wanted to insist on the importance of eco-friendly behavior and that we are a committed organization that does not only focus on computer science. We are actually very aware of ourselves as members of society in the first place and we work hard to make living conditions better in our community through coding and beyond!

How would you encourage other Student Branches to adopt such creative ways of communication?

The initiative that we took can only set an open invitation to all student branches around the globe to keep a conscious consumer mindset and to participate in environmental campaigns regardless of the activity field. Our campaign can inspire other student branches as well from a marketing perspective. Meaning that such creative acts can draw the desired positive attention and feedback. And thus creating an original brand for the branch.

How was the idea born in general to create an alternative piece of art?

It all started when we provided a large variety of beverages for our IEEEXTREME 24h challenge that obviously came in plastic bottles. I immediately thought about recycling them and suggested that to the rest of the executive board. They were of course really supportive of the idea. We started sorting the bottles by size and color. The plan was to sell the collected items to a recycling company. Until I was coincidentally contacted on Instagram by the chair creators asking to have the green bottles for their project. I got really excited about it and immediately agreed. Although our Chapter wasn’t involved in the actual project, it was an immense pleasure to promote alternative eco-friendly design.

 

In Region 8 Today we also had the chance to speak the designers of the deckchair, Flayou, and learn about their curing research in materials.

Flayou

Expressing the message of recycling through art and design, was something new for you?

Ecological issues have long been the center of our research when it comes to product design. We are indeed DESIGNERS not artists, that is why sometimes we happen to conceive objects that may be qualified as “useless” or “decorative”, we prefer to bring up recycling as an intelligent tool capable of transforming a substance, valorizing it and giving it a brand new usage. The idea that random waste can become a raw material full of new potentials is very appealing to us. The goal is to take action before the recycling stage. We take advantage of the material and its existing qualities and try to modify it to a minimum. The goal is to stay in a simple process, which also reflects the history of materials and objects.

OUR MOST RECENT PROJECT ( featuring IEEE Contribution):

We think indeed that just like cats, objects have multiple lives. Our Studio FLAŸOU have recently reworked the Mies Van der Rohe’s “MR 241 LS” chair structure and have adapted the Bauhaus principles to its atypical universe. FLAŸOU have recycled the identity of green soda bottles along with cardboard tubes, Shifting their use and giving these materials a second life, was a whole lot of fun.

How did you feel, working with active IEEE members?

The FLAŸOU team was impressed by the initiative when we were approached by the IEEE INSAT student branch. A computer science club was our least expected collaborator on projects of this kind. We really appreciate their enthusiasm, commitment and professionalism when it comes to work. All intellectual property rights were guaranteed and the plastic deckchair was fully promoted as FLAYOU’s original idea. The collaboration only consisted of supplying our lab with the required plastic material to create the chair in this project, but it certainly had a greater cause behind it, promoting technology, computer science and alternative design.

Can technology and engineering be adopted in art?

We totally think that the future of art would be in the hands of engineers and researchers who can lead us to new and exciting methods of artistic realizations. And Thus our Design lab, has always been looking for innovative ways to treat the raw materials and come up with never seen before masterpieces. For instance, we recently began to implement the thermoforming techniques in our projects and it has shown very promising high end results so far. Flaÿou is dedicated to experimenting with new ecological materials, new composites, the renewed use of materials known for decades and the diverted use of materials.

Current research in materials.

  1. Cork

➢ Recycling of cork residues recovered at the factory during the production of corks. This residual cork retains its natural properties: ecological, durable and insulating.

  1. Bioplastic

➢ Establishment of agro-sourced plastics from renewable resources, such as maize, wheat and sugarcane.

  1. Paper and vegetable fibers

➢ Manufacture of paper made from local materials such as palm leaves.

➢ Experiment with the pulp paper through new forms and moldings.

  1. Composites

➢ Mix and create alternative materials.

➢ Use of agglomerated cork, natural fibers and bio-plastic.

➢ Mix innovative 3D printing technologies with older techniques such as traditional molding.