09:36, 06 February 2023
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
A young girl has designed a backpack that will filter pollutants from the air.
Eleanor, aged 12, entered (and won!) the ‘Backpacks to the Future’ competition with her design for an air-filtering backpack.
The competition was run by The Institute of Engineering and Technology, as well as global fashion brand HYPE and Biophilica, creators of biodegradable faux leather.
Eleanor lives on a busy main road with lots of pollution from cars and other vehicles – something her mum, who has asthma, struggles with.
Judges loved Eleanor's design, saying it could "make a positive difference to people’s lives, and to the planet”.
The ‘breathe better’ backpack, created by the 12-year-old, has a small air filter that sits in the front pocket of the backpack, and is powered by solar energy.
It includes a dynamo, which converts the mechanical energy into electricity, powering the bag and cleaning the air.
Eleanor hopes that the breathe better backpack will help make the air cleaner and safer for her family and friends when she is walking to school.
As the winner of the ‘Backpack to the Future’ competition, Eleanor will have a working prototype of her design made and will get to see a backpack inspired by their design displayed in HYPE’s flagship London store.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
