Waste to Products Research Team
Research Mentor(s)
Nicole Hoekstra
Description
Our goal is to find productive ways to use this University’s common plastic waste. We strive to create useful products that would replace items usually made from virgin material. By collecting waste from and producing products to be used at the university, we are beginning to form a circular plastic economy. We have collected and attempted to process many materials so far including HDPE, PET, PP, PS, LDPE, foams, and films, mostly with success. We then identify products that can be made from those materials and used within our campus, such as notebook covers, plant pots, and emergency blankets all made from 100% local recycled material. We have also partnered with Bellingham Makerspace and plan on hosting a workshop later this quarter to teach community members how easy it is to recycle plastic waste, even from home. We hope to further educate others in the area about plastic recycling, and how fulfilling it can be to recycle waste from your own home.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE -Engineering and Design
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Waste to Products Research Team
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Our goal is to find productive ways to use this University’s common plastic waste. We strive to create useful products that would replace items usually made from virgin material. By collecting waste from and producing products to be used at the university, we are beginning to form a circular plastic economy. We have collected and attempted to process many materials so far including HDPE, PET, PP, PS, LDPE, foams, and films, mostly with success. We then identify products that can be made from those materials and used within our campus, such as notebook covers, plant pots, and emergency blankets all made from 100% local recycled material. We have also partnered with Bellingham Makerspace and plan on hosting a workshop later this quarter to teach community members how easy it is to recycle plastic waste, even from home. We hope to further educate others in the area about plastic recycling, and how fulfilling it can be to recycle waste from your own home.