#KindnessMatters: Meet the young students Driving Change in the UAE

It took a little bit of inspiration, a dash of ingenuity and a lot of creativity for Adeel and his classmates who challenged themselves to think out-of-the-box and came up with the unique upcycled Tyro Chair! Read his first-person account of the process , from idea to execution published as part of the #KindnessMatters series, which showcases examplary Acts of Kindness for the SDGs. The details / opinions and thoughts reflected in the story are the author’s own and do not reflect the position of UNESCO MGIEP.

Submitted by: Adeel
Act of Kindness for SDG 12: responsible Production and Consumption.
Country: UAE

Our upcycling journey began a year ago, when we went on a 3-day adventure around the UAE. Our School in Dubai asked us to participate in an Upcycling Competition. At the end of the up cycling process, the last fragment of Upcycling was missing, which was creativity.

We buddies were looking for the perfect piece to match the mid-century modern style competition. Finally, we saw an old dusty tyre and immediately knew it was perfect. We cleaned it up and drilled it; adding ropes, a simple and creative pattern and a logo that produced a creative appeal. And so it became the perfect chair. After that, we got an order for making more tyres for school so that it could be placed in the creative corner to attract a lot of learners. That chair was the first item we upcycled and that’s why they are called it Tyro Chair!

Tyro Chair is made out of used Tyres and Ropes and can hold up an incredible weight without any problem as the material is hard and durable which makes it suitable for many purposes.

Tens of millions of tyres are discarded across the Middle East every year. Disposal of waste tires is a challenging task because tires have a long life and are non-biodegradable. The traditional method of disposal of waste tires have been stockpiling or illegally dumping or landfilling, all of which are short-term solution. Inadequate disposal of these Tyres causes chronic health hazards. Open tire fire emissions include “criteria” pollutants, such as particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Because tyres are highly durable and non-biodegradable, they can consume valued space in landfills. In 1990, it was estimated that over 1 billion scrap tyres were in stockpiles in the United States. As of 2015, only 67 million tires remain in stockpiles. From 1994 to 2010, the European Union increased the amount of tyres recycled from 25% of annual discards to nearly 95%, with roughly half of the end-of-life tyres used for energy, mostly in cement manufacturing. But this recycling is cost effective and not all tyres can be recycled, depending on the quality of the tyre and therefore came the idea of Up-cycling. It is innovative, stunning and last a lifetime.

Note: The story captured here is a part of the #BestofKindnessMatters series, which is a part of the larger campaign on #KindnessMatters for the SDGs. The details / opinions and thoughts reflected in the story are the author’s own and do not reflect the position of UNESCO MGIEP.

About #KindnessMatters: UNESCO MGIEP's global youth campaign titled 'Kindness Matters for the SDGs' aims to mobilize the world’s youth to achieve the 17 SDGs through transformative acts of kindness. The campaign also attempts to create a positive culture of kindness, in which every young person's selfless act matters!

For more information and to submit a story of kindness: http://www.mgiep.unesco.org/kindness