Student Innovation Drives Circular Change at UM
On Friday 12 June, a group of students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) hosted a creative workshop as part of their project ReCrafted. The session brought together participants to explore how waste materials from Maastricht University (UM) can be transformed into meaningful and sustainable graduation gifts.
Turning waste into gifts
During the workshop, participants discussed different ideas for gifts and possible manufacturing options. The session sparked creativity and collaboration, encouraging attendees to think differently about waste and its potential value.
The journey does not stop here. Participants now can further refine their ideas and/or make a prototype. In the next stage, a panel of judges - comprising Circular Engineering third-year students and selected UM staff - will evaluate the designs and select the most promising concept.
Student Sustainability Challenge
The ReCrafted project was awarded funding through the Student Sustainability Challenge, part of the Brightlands Startup Challenge at the end of 2025. The initiative focuses on enabling Circular Engineering students to apply their academic knowledge in practice by designing and producing graduation gifts from UM waste streams. This approach not only enhances hands-on learning but also contributes to making graduation traditions more sustainable and circular.
Circular UM Campus
ReCrafted aligns closely with Maastricht University’s ambition to become a fully circular campus by 2035. By rethinking materials and encouraging innovative reuse, the project represents a concrete step toward embedding circular principles across the university.
Projects like ReCrafted show how creativity, education, and sustainability can come together to make a lasting impact; turning waste into value and ideas into action.
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