La Caverne d'Ali Baba: a re-use library for art students at ESA Saint-Luc, Brussels
The Caverne d'Ali Baba (Ali Baba's cave) is an initiative by and for students in the art school of ESA Saint-Luc, in Brussels.
According to the Fédération des Récupérathèques, to which the initiative belongs, the service stands as a shared and co-managed warehouse of materials for reuse, made available to students for their creative projects. Value and exchange are determined by a local virtual currency. The purpose of these initiatives is to promote a sustainable model in schools, based on collective intelligence, solidarity and social interaction.
The CAB follows this model of giving access to reuse materials for the students and is co-managed by the students themselves. The facility serves both as a material resource and to reintegrate leftovers from students' projects in the material flow, while recognising its long-term value. The local currency for exchanges is the Lux, named after the Brussels Art School.
The CAB reuse library creates a local economy and provides a simple solution both for extra materials remaining after a creative project is done, and for easy acces to materials for new projects. It also helps lower the costs of art supplies for students. The local virtual currency promotes cooperation and ensures that all reuse materials are appropriately valued and used.
The CAB involves 700 students and professors at the art school of ESA Saint-Luc and is a very practical way of raising awareness about waste and recycling.