Reimagine, repurpose, revolutionise!
That’s what happened at the halls of University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol recently with the launch of the hackathon of fresh ideas. Conducted in partnership with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, the initiative celebrates UWE’s Business Team Entrepreneurship programme’s 10th anniversary and was aimed at testing students’ creative abilities.
It’s not your average classroom project. It’s a mission to tackle real-world environmental challenge head-on: what to do with those pesky materials that haunt our landfills – worn-out carpets, chipped linoleum, furniture that’s seen better days. These bulky burdens take up space, are hard to recycle, leach toxins and represent a missed opportunity for a more sustainable future.
A hack attack for creative solutions
The students were not thrown into the recycling ring unarmed. SUEZ representatives, industry veterans themselves, provided these young entrepreneurs valuable insights. Students also connected with established business leaders in the UK and worldwide to deepen their knowledge and understanding of current recycling methods.
Armed with real-world knowledge and a passion to contribute to the circular economy, each team presented video pitches outlining their proposed solutions. The pitches themselves were a testament to their ingenuity – from separating plastic and nylon from carpets for car mat reinvention to upcycling old desks into blackboards, breathing new life into classrooms.
The competition was fierce, but the spirit of collaboration shone through. The top contenders received dedicated mentorship from SUEZ, connecting them with specialist recycling companies. This crucial support bridged the gap between theory and practice, turning these innovative ideas into potentially groundbreaking solutions. In the end, three teams were declared winners for their excellent innovative approaches to recycling difficult waste streams.
According to Marion Gillet, Programme Leader of Business Team Entrepreneurship at UWE, the hackathon “provided a real-world situation that gave our cohort a broad platform to learn about a specialised industry in very little time”, adding that she is “grateful that SUEZ trusted the process and engaged with our Team Entrepreneurs fully and generously”.
A win for people, planet and progress
Beyond competition, this project fostered a passion for sustainability within these young minds. They not only gained critical hands-on business experience, but also learned more about the circular economy – a system that SUEZ is committed to and which prioritises keeping resources in use for as long as possible.
More importantly, the collaboration showcased the power of teamwork in tackling environmental challenges. UWE’s educational experts combined with SUEZ’s industry knowledge and resources created a platform for innovation to flourish.
SUEZ, which is dedicated to the ‘people, planet, profit’ philosophy, applauded the students’ creativity and rapid progress. As a bonus, SUEZ offered to continue working with all participating teams to help them make their research a reality.
The students, empowered by UWE’s guidance and SUEZ’s support, not only delivered impressive solutions but also demonstrated their potential to become future changemakers for sustainability. With these green skills, the future of recycling is in good hands.