The First Step of the “Upcycling Workshop: Sustainable Products Transformed from Waste Bottles” Social Responsibility Project Has Been Realized!

The social responsibility project "Upcycling Workshop: Sustainable Products Recycled from Waste Bottles" was designed as a movement that tries to ensure a better understanding of sustainability by students, with the theme "Touching the Glass". The first leg of the project, which will consist of three stages and is planned under the leadership of Gökçe Uzgören, Merve Karadaban, and Büşra Kılıç, is aimed to cooperate with a workshop focused on upcycling called Studio Le Fond, which has recently opened in Istanbul. With the support of contracted restaurants, Studio Le Fond collects waste glass bottles that are about to go to waste, disinfects them, sends them to slaughter, and brings them back to life with designs that can be used with pleasure. It offers products that are upcycled, environmentally friendly, reusable, and produced with completely natural materials and ingredients, with the understanding of sustainability and simplicity.

The project aims to raise awareness among students about the recycling of waste. Giving students an "upcycling vision" about how glass, one of the most valuable wastes, can be reused and developing a perspective on re-design with this vision will be one of the most important pillars of the project. In this sense, “DON'T DISCARD, TRANSFORM!” It aims to reconsider the environment with the slogan and to contribute to the transformation within the design activity with this vision.

A Presentation and A Workshop on Upcycling An Was Held At Studio Le Fond

Within the scope of the project, Tuğçe Uzgören Şahin, the founder of Studio Le Fond, was interviewed and the project was detailed. In the first stage, an "Upcycling" presentation was made to 10 students in Studio Le Fond's office, and the products made by Studio Le Fond from waste bottles were introduced. In addition, an "upcycling" workshop using waste materials was held for students at the company office, and the first stage was completed.

We congratulate all our faculty members and students who contributed to the social responsibility project "Upcycling Workshop: Sustainable Products Recycled from Waste Bottles".