Innovation can bring revolution in the field of sustainability and one such example is “Stack and stack”- a stool that is created by up-cycling discarded masks. This innovation is done by a South Korean student name Kim Ha-Nuel who came up with the intriguing idea of up cycling used masks to make a stool out of it. Concerned about the proper waste management of plastic, Kim Ha-Neul, who belongs to South Korea’s Uiwang, wanted to find a way through which he could up cycle them. Kim, who is doing majors in furniture design melted around 1,500 discarded masks to make a stool which he named as “Stack and Stack”.
Till now, he collected 10,000 used masks and received more than 1,000 kilograms of defective pieces from a factory as well. He has set up a mask collection box at the Kaywon University of Art and design in Uiwang city, since that day he has collected overall 10,000 used masks and has received 1000 kg of defective pieces from the factory too! To lower the risk of transmission from the mask he stores the discarded mask for at least for 4 days. Right after storing discarded masks he then can de-attach all plastics and wires from the masks. With the help of a welding machine, he melts down all the masks at more than 300 degrees Celsius. Once it is done the three-legged stool is made out of it. Which he has also shown in his graduation presentation at college. Aside from the stools, he is also planning to make other furniture as like chairs tables, and lights.
According to Government data, South Korea has produced more than a billion face mask for domestic use in September itself. Through this up cycling project of Kim, he wants to educate people to adopt environmentally friendly methods. Still, the stool is not yet ready for sale, but many of the students were influenced by this transformation of discarded masks into a stool.