The social responsibility project “RePlay: From Waste to Toy” has begun at Istanbul Medeniyet University. Aiming to reevaluate waste materials through creative production processes, the project involves university students and volunteers transforming recyclable plastic waste into toys. This will contribute to raising environmental awareness, and the toys produced will be gifted to children on April 23, providing social benefit. Combining sustainability and social benefit, the project aims to present an example of a circular economy that seeks to reevaluate waste not only as residues to be disposed of but as raw materials with economic and environmental value.
Before the project work began, the project team met with the university administration to share the scope and objectives of the project. In this context, the team visited our rector, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin ÇELİK, at his office to introduce and provide information about the project. During the visit, the goals of reusing waste materials through recycling and upcycling technologies, introducing young people to sustainable production processes, and delivering the toys produced to children were conveyed. Our rector, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin ÇELİK, stated that such projects, which combine environmental awareness with social benefit, are important in terms of our university’s social responsibility approach and conveyed his best wishes for the project’s success.
The “RePlay: From Waste to Toy” project aims to contribute to the circular economy by ensuring that waste is reused without harming the environment, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from waste logistics through on-site conversion practices. The project plans to recycle PET bottles collected from campus areas and to upcycle vial caps collected from hospitals through project partners. The starting point of the project is plastic caps, which, despite being a recyclable material, are often thrown into medical waste bins during treatment planning processes and therefore incinerated instead of being recycled. The project essentially aims to raise awareness among healthcare workers that these materials are recyclable and to make the waste management process in healthcare facilities more efficient, while also incorporating this waste into the circular economy and turning it into new products. This extends the life cycle of waste plastics, increases the value of the material, and contributes to reducing the use of new raw materials.
The project also aims to deliver significant gains in the field of education and lifelong learning. In RePlay workshops, young people have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with recycling and upcycling processes, 3D printing technologies, computer-aided design (CAD), and industrial product development stages. This process aims not only to equip participants with technical skills but also to develop their competence in design-oriented thinking, environmental awareness, and sustainable production. In this respect, the project aims to contribute to young people acquiring green skills and to support the development of individuals who can adapt to the sustainable production models of the future.
During the project, each participant will design their own toy, develop the rules of the game, and produce the designed product using 3D printing technologies. The toys prepared in the production workshops carried out within the scope of the project will be completed before April 23, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, and will be given to children as gifts during the holiday. Thus, a contribution will be made to environmental sustainability, and social solidarity will be strengthened by delivering a meaningful holiday gift to children.
The “RePlay: From Waste to Toy” project is led by Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK, a research assistant at our university’s Sustainability Office, The project team also includes Furkan ERUÇAR, another research assistant from the Sustainability Office, and students Livanur İNAN, Şirin Beyza ÖZBEY, Bedrihan YALTA, Serza Elif UĞUR, Merve ÖZTAŞ, and Mesut BAKSI, who are members of the IMU Sustainability Club. The club activities part of the project, carried out by students, is supported under the UNIDES Program run by the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports. Additionally, PET recycling, design, and 3D production processes are supported by Tylman Design.
The “RePlay: From Waste to Toy” project aims to offer an innovative transformation model developed with the active participation of university students, bringing together sustainable production, environmental awareness, and social solidarity. The project demonstrates that waste can be transformed into a valuable resource, showing that small touches can produce great benefits for both the environment and society.
Project details and workshop schedule can be followed on the @surdurulebilir_imu Instagram account.
