Students present upcycled product prototypes to community leaders under Nissan’s ‘Honor the King Legacy’ initiative
Goal is to reduce waste, create jobs, and generate a sustainable income for Pak Nam Pran residents
Bangkok, Thailand (21 March 2019) – Community leaders from Pak Nam Pran were delighted with the upcycled product prototypes that the 70 students from King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang’s Faculty of Architecture recently presented to them under Nissan’s ‘Honor the King Legacy’ initiative.
This is the continuation of Nissan’s ‘Honor the King’s Legacy’ project that began in 2017. This second-year initiative involves six student teams that are designing products that the community will be taught to create and then sell by upcycling local waste. The goal is to reduce waste, create jobs, and generate a sustainable income for these communities. To achieve this, Nissan is collaborating closely with Prof. Jarupatcha Achavasmit, a lecturer at KMITL’s Faculty of Architecture.
Sample product ideas included decorative lampshades made from torn fishing nets, bags constructed out of coconut shells and rope, sandals and footwear using plastic recycled from bottles and other products, jewelry, accessories and more.
The students were inspired by both the waste items they found and collected during an earlier visit to Pak Nam Pran, as well as by the community members they met, and from the discussions they had during that visit.
“I am incredibly proud of the time, effort and thought the students put into creating these prototype designs from the trash they collected with members of the community. They are working enthusiastically and tirelessly on this project,” said Peter Galli, vice president for communications for Nissan in Thailand. “After the prototype products were presented, the students and community leaders had valuable and insightful discussions to decide which should be developed further. I am so excited to see the final products that will transform waste products into saleable items.”
For her part, Prof. Jarupatchara said she was thrilled and excited to participate in this project which gave the students receive real-world experiences that simply cannot be taught in a classroom.
“With this project, students have an opportunity to research waste and determine how it can be upcycled. The students are engaged in various activities where they learn how to design and produce marketable items that can be produced by local communities and then sold. These are the important practical skills that I hope the students will incorporate into their work lives going forward to help advance sustainable community development,” she added.
Somdej Nakdee, president of the Mangrove Forest and Environment Conservation Group Baan Klong Kao, enthusiastically agreed, “I have collected and sold waste for over 18 years. That is all I know but, now, thanks to Nissan’s inspiring project and these brilliant students, I have learned so much more,” he said. “Now that I know how to upcycle waste, I can’t wait to experiment and try to develop new products myself”
About Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Nissan was established in Japan since 1933 with the commitment to create Innovation that Excites for customer satisfaction. Nissan wants to improve quality of life for people in society by pursuing a goal of zero emission vehicles and zero fatalities on the road with “Nissan Intelligent Mobility”. The company plans to introduce autonomous drive vehicles across regions for safety and more enjoyable driving experience. Nissan started business in Thailand since 1952. Currently, the Nissan Group of Companies in Thailand has subsidiaries five companies, including two of the production bases, over than 180 showrooms and service centers nationwide network. Vehicle range cover all segments includes 10 models spanning the entry level Eco-Car, SUV, Premium Sedans and Pickup Trucks.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold 10.76 million vehicles combined in calendar year 2018.
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