A student project that gives used umbrellas a second life – as backpacks – secured a win at Simon Fraser University Surrey’s Opportunity Fest.
The product earned a team of five students top spot in the sustainable category for Second Chance, a supplies material donation system.
The team collected more than 30 lost and broken umbrellas, as well as 50 rice bags, from fellow SFU students, restaurants and other Lower Mainland businesses and used the materials to create 11 environmentally friendly bags.
Each took about three hours to make, and is lightweight and sturdy, with shoulder straps. The rice bags were used to line the backpacks.
“We wanted to create something simple but totally practical, and help Vancouver reach its goal of becoming a greener city,” team member Cindy Chen said in a statement.
The team is taking the concept to a fourth-year social venture class to further advance their idea.
Other winners in the April 11 contest included a hot tub water care system called Easy Care Water solutions, comprised of an electronic hand-held device which simultaneously measures for all required levels to maintain water chemistry balance in hot tubs.
A third winner was “Smart Fit”, a project in which students designed a wristband that measures heart rate and sleeping patterns, and utilizes Bluetooth.
The three winners each received $1,000 to develop their projects.
More than 100 students participated in the market-place style public exhibition.
Organizer Eric Gedajlovic, described it as “a little bit of Dragon’s Den, and a bit of Apprentice.”
“The teams take this opportunity to develop a full-blown project.
“Opportunity Fest gives them the chance to develop something they will really care about.”
