InventorSpot

At first glance you may think this chair is just another chair made from recycled parts, but if you look deeper you may find something more. At first glance you may be appalled when you see that the chairs environmental design consists of non-earth friendly twisty ties. Or, if you look deeper, have an open mind and patience, you may find in it instead potential, potential to have a great social and environmental impact on the world.

Carlos Alberto Montana Hoyos, a designer, who studied in Japan in Kobe Design University, knows his chair isn't perfect, but he's working on it. It took 1739 recycled aluminum can tabs, a few friends, a bunch of twisty ties and a lot of hope for a better world to bind this chair together. Unfortunately, the chair is not for sale. It's still a prototype.

Now, if you think this chair is all Carlos Alberto Montana Hoyos has done for the environment, think again.

A few weeks ago I sent an email to Mr. Hoyos for more information on his A La Lata chair, but he did not respond. Well, he didn't respond right away. It took several days before I finally received an apologetic email from Mr. Hoyos in which he explains that he was at an environmental conference in the jungle in Costa Rica where there was no Internet access and this is why he did not respond earlier. Apology accepted.

In a written description about his chair and the project behind the chair he states, "By reinterpreting traditional handcraft of my country Colombia and Latin America, and exploring its identity, a positive image of the country can be shown to the world. Moreover, concerning new products and technologies, by focusing on sustainable development through the use of local renewable or recycled materials, I aim to give a positive impact not only on the involved communities, but also on the environment."

Through exploring the concepts of cultural identity and sustainability through product design he hopes he can find more job opportunities for his country improve its images and in the end make a social and environmental impact all over the world.