Two Toronto-based university grads have come up with the ultimate in recyling: a shelf and a desk made from paper.

The cardboard pieces look like something the boys from Big Bang Theory could have dreamt up in a moment of whimsy. But its purpose is all practical.

The adult-size desk and shelf – each costing $19.99 –arrive at the doorstep in a flat pack, via mail or courier.

The idea is to fold the sheets, insert a few cardboard tongues into their designated slots, and the pieces are ready for laptop and books.

Once they’ve outlived their usefulness, the recycling bin awaits.

The pieces appear tailor-made for itinerant university students, because they were designed by one: 2010 University of Waterloo Bachelor of Architectural Studies grad Geoff Christou.

He first started thinking about cheap furnishings while at Waterloo, “to avoid lugging furniture around between school terms,” he recalls.

Instead of exploring the world after graduation, Christou put his savings into making this kind of furniture a reality.

“I spent six months with a 48-inch t-square on giant pieces of corrugated paper,” says the 24-year-old. “It must’ve looked like I was doing yoga on cardboard,” he laughs.

Christou, who describes himself as “fourth-generation Etobicoke,” teamed up with his childhood buddy Chris Porteous, a Wilfrid Laurier University business grad who is the management brains behind Our Paper Life.

The first 500 sheets of would-be desks and shelves arrived on Aug. 8. Christou says that, to-date he has sold about 100 online, through www.ourpaperlife.com.

Christou and Porteous are looking at ways to distribute their wares through a student network directly on university campuses. They would also be willing to consider an eventual deal to make the furniture available at a bricks-and-mortar retailer.

They have also found a willing partner in Mexico, and hope to have a distributor in Brazil early in 2012.

The three-tiered shelf and drawerless desk weigh 9 pounds. They are designed to hold a total of 65 pounds, if it’s evenly distributed.

The cardboard is made up of 95 per cent post-consumer recycled material, and releases no gases or fumes. Christou says he worked with the Burlington-based paper supplier for three months to fine-tune the material.

“We asked for a water-resistant coating, and they agreed to use water-resistant glue on the inside, so the cardboard wouldn’t delaminate if it got wet,” he explains.

That alleviates concerns over late-night spills of Red Bull.

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As for the future, Christou admits he’s full of ideas, but not all of them involve more cardboard furniture.

“I didn’t start with a product, I started with a market and need,” the entrepreneur says. “Then I found that cardboard was the best fit.”

Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry has long been a fan of furniture made from laminated cardboard. There are also a number of high-end cardboard-based furniture designers, but quick-and-easy furniture is less easy to find.

Swiss architect Nicola Enrico Staubli offers DIY patterns to cut out cardboard furniture for children at www.foldschool.com.

Our Paper Life’s closest competitor appears to be the Karton Group, an Australian firm that offers a wide range of fold-together cardboard furniture offered at a slightly higher price.

THE STAR TEST

A desk and shelf arrived flat-packed in an easy-to-carry cardboard wrapper. The pictorial assembly instructions are straightforward.

It took 20 minutes to assemble both pieces, with a bit of trial and error.

The Achilles heels are the little cardboard tongues that attach bits of cardboard together: they do not fold back easily, nor do they want to stay in place. This complicates the assembly process – and makes the finished pieces look slapdash.

That said, the desk’s surface is water-resistant and the furniture appears to be stable and sturdy enough for everyday life.