• This exclusive enclosure at Kargil Park has various figurines from burnt tyres

Kanpur, May 4, 2022: IIT Kanpur, India’s foremost engineering institute has partnered with De’Dzines, to create an exclusive enclosure, replete with art that is made from burnt tyres. A momentous step towards sustainability, the joint project conceptualized by IIT Kanpur and De’Dzines is not just environment friendly but makes for an awe-inspiring show-ground that will attract students and visitors alike. The one-of-a-kind arena at Kargil Park, Motijheel was inaugurated on May 2 by Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. The installation in the park was led by Kanpur Nagar Nigam. Dr Raj Shekhar, Kanpur Commissioner, Shri Shiv Sharanappa, Kanpur Municipal Commissioner and Prof J Ramkumar from IIT Kanpur were also present at the inauguration.

Commenting on this remarkable initiative, Prof. Abhay Karandikar said, “At IIT Kanpur, we strive towards creating solutions that are sustainable and good for the environment; this partnership with De’Dzines is a definitive step in that direction. I am impressed with the ingenuity and creative thinking that this talented team brings on board, which is evident in the incredible designs that they have created. I am confident that the students, faculty and visitors will appreciate this effort and the Tyre Park will soon become the talk of the town.”

According to a recent study, more than 40 % of used tyres are burnt besides being disposed of in the landfill. This insight led to the genesis of De’Dzines that works with the single-minded objective of repurposing old, used or burnt tyres. The idea for IIT Kanpur’s Tyre Park was conceptualized by Ms Vaishali Biyani during one of her visits to the by lanes of Kanpur where she saw tyres being burnt at a large scale and decided to take remedial action.

The used tyres can be repurposed for various items like furniture, planter, play equipment, sculptures, bags, shoes etc. Since most of the products are mainly handmade, it also needs a good process for cutting, treating the rubber, design, assembly and finishing. This is when the team at De’Dzines approached IIT Kanpur whose researchers have been working on ways and means to improve material usage, coating and finishing.

About IIT Kanpur:

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was established on 2nd November 1959 by an Act of Parliament. The institute has a sprawling campus spread over 1055 acres with large pool of academic and research resources spanning across 17 departments, 25 centres, and 5 Interdisciplinary programs in engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines with 480 full-time faculty members and approximately 9000 students. In addition to formal undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the institute has been active in research and development in areas of value to both industry and government.

For more information, visit: https://www.iitk.ac.in/.