FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS THROUGH RECOVERED MATERIALS IN ACADEMIC PROJECTS

In an era of growing environmental challenges, design and engineering education must integrate sustainability not only as a theoretical concept but as a hands-on practice. This research explores how the incorporation of recovered, recycled, and upcycled materials, along with circular strategies (R’s), in academic projects can enhance environmental awareness among students in creative and engineering disciplines. Through a mixed-methods study involving surveys, interviews, and case studies across diverse programs in higher education, we examine the effects of using these materials on students' understanding of sustainability, resource conservation, and circular economy principles. Preliminary findings suggest that both design and engineering students engaging with repurposed materials and circular strategies gain a deeper appreciation for environment, material lifecycles, and sustainability, and are more likely to adopt sustainable practices in their respective fields. This paper highlights the transformative role that material choices and circular strategies in academic projects can play in cultivating a sustainability mindset, encouraging innovation in design processes, and promoting ethical responsibility among future designers and engineers.