2026-27 Capstone

DIY Waste

What if Marble Plastics manufacturing waste could become prefabricated DIY kits that allow for people to experience and learn about recycled material through the making process? Plastic material has become embedded in everyday life since it has the ability to take on various different forms and functions (Mustalish 2004). There are many examples of material reuse of post-industrial waste being used as an accessible material rather than just treating it as an industrial byproduct. Another aspect of my research that demonstrates the viability of this is from The “IKEA effect”: When labor leads to love, that "Again, our account suggests, and our results demonstrate, labor leads to love only when that labor is successful". It suggests that when a consumer takes part in the making process, it creates a deeper connection to the material and the product that is made. With this concept, it would allow for parents and kids to experience working with the material, learning about it while creating a deeper connection with what they make from the prefabricated kits.

References:

Mustalish, R. (2004, October 1). Modern materials: Plastics. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/modern-materials-plastics

Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2011). The “IKEA effect”: When labor leads to love (Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 11-091). Harvard Business School.

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References:

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Fabrix: A Sustainable Building Material.

It’s Not Your Fault: Designing the Connections Behind Sustainability.

Inflight Capabilities with Delta Airlines

Music education and children's brain development