The Crystal – Student Project

Page 1/6Zone 12 Clean & Green – From Rubbish to Resource

Introduction Zone 12 ‘Clean & Green’ is about the pressure that increased waste pollution and reduced air quality places on our environment. Many artists, craftspeople and entrepreneurs have found creative ways of re-using waste.

A range of useful and attractive goods can be created from waste materials which can then be sold to generate income. If not re-used in this way this material would have been heading for dumps or landfill. Finding new uses for it not only brings in income, it also solves the problem of it being dumped when no longer required for its original purpose.

Your project is to design and make a product from waste material that could be sold for profit.During this project you will need to discover the following:

• What sort of waste is available and in what amount

• What sort of properties the waste has and what kind of products could be made from it

• How long your product will take to produce and what tools, skills and additional materials are required

• What the demand is for your product

• If you will be able to meet that demand

• If you will be able to make a profit

Your main aim is to make something from waste that would have otherwise been thrown away, but you will also need to consider whether anyone will buy it. People buy items because they are either useful or attractive so your product needs to be either or both.

Useful starting links

Making money from waste in Bali: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpokMPhGS5U

A really good source of recycling ideas: http://www.greenusesforwaste.co.uk/ http://www.greatgreengoods.com/

Showing how you can be really creative – decorative flowers from plastic bottles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBmXMoI9Qus&NR=1&feature=endscreen

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How to decide what to makeWhen deciding what product to make you will have to consider several factors:

The skills and interests you have as a maker

• Do you like working with metal?

• Are you a confident woodworker?

• Do you enjoy sewing and textiles?

• Do you like designing furniture?

• Are you interested in jewellery?

• Does making practical objects, such as bags, appeal to you?

Draw a mind map of materials you are good at working with:

The waste materials available to you

There is no point designing something if you cannot get hold of enough waste materials to make more than one item so think about what kind of waste is in large supply locally and record in a table.

Waste material Where sourcedAluminium drinks cans School recycling bins

Fabric Off-cuts from local dress factory Jumble sales

Wood Local joinery firm

What the market (your customers) will buy

What is made from recycled waste and sold already? For ideas you could try researching the internet using search terms that could include ‘waste into products’, ‘recycled goods’, ‘recycle projects’.

Collect some images for inspiration and record where you found them.

Materials I’m good at

working withWood

?

?

?For example:

The Crystal – Student Project

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Making your product Experiment with your materials and ideas to come up with some suggestions for products. Think of as many ideas as you can and make notes on each.

Show your ideas to your potential customers (your ‘market’), ask them the same questions about what they like / dislike, what they think about price, if they would change anything etc. Record their comments:

Product Own notes Potential customer commentsWoven plastic bag Plastic bags are free from my

local shop so only cost is my making time

Teenage friend said it was too expensive for her

Mum’s friend commented price was OK and she would like one in red and white

Made of plastic bags I can source for free from local shops. I need 30 plastic bags to make this size: 30cm x 40cm

Got the pattern from Pinterest.com

Takes approx six hours to make – I charge my time at £5 per hour = £30 cost to make

Additional materials needed: none

Have seen similar for sale £45 - 55

Equipment needed: glue gun, craft knife and clamps to hold handles whilst plaiting

I think this product would be liked by teenage girls and women as it is both attractive and useful

Could use plain bags, multi-coloured or selected colours

For example:

The Crystal – Student Project

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Sourcing useful waste There are many types of waste products than can be re-used. Use the examples below to start your thinking and add your own findings.

Materials Properties Can be re-used for

Old newspapers • Light

• Flexible, Newspapers / magazines can be decorative

• Strong when rolled

•

•

• Weaving into flat sheets for making boxes

• Rolling to make beads / strong structures

• Paper mache

•

•

Wooden planks

Cartons

Plastic bottles

Glass jars

Drinks cans

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Why use waste? Find out why using waste as a resource is a good idea.

List different types of waste that are suitable for re-use:

What would happen to this waste if it’s not recycled?

• Paper

• Cardboard

What sorts of people recycle waste to make new products?

Why do they do it?

Give two examples from countries around the world that recycle waste to make goods to sell to tourists?

Apart from tourists, what other types of market are out there for recycled goods? Think of who recycles waste in the UK for example.

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Evaluating your work After you’ve finished this project evaluate how you well your project met the original brief: Design and make a product from waste material that could be sold for profit.

What were the most important features of your product?

Looking back on the project which was your favourite part (or parts) to work on?

Were your first ideas the ones you ended up choosing to make? Why is that?

What did customers comment on when examining your product?

Which customer comments helped you with your ideas?

Did you make any of your products to sell? What happened?

What skills have you developed as a result of being involved in this project?

If you started the project again what would you do differently and why?