Homogeneous Catalysis in Plastic Waste Upcycling: A DFT Study on the Role of Imperfections in Polymer Chains

Rational plastic recycling is critical for addressing the environmental challenges associated with plastic waste. Among the various recycling methods, chemical recycling, particularly via homogeneous catalysis, holds promise for converting plastic waste into valuable products. Post-consumer polymer wastes could present a challenge for...

Waste and robots: An opportunity for the future of carbon neutral buildings

Waste derived from constructions and demolitions creates an opportunity to lower the carbon footprint of buildings. As bricks and concrete make up two of the most common construction materials world-wide, once the buildings they are built into, reach their end life, a large portion of the waste becomes available for reuse, rich in properties...

RE-FACADE GLASS PANELS: made by Construction & Demolition Recycled Glass

Although glass is a known material for centuries, extensive usage and today’s technology –with modern construction methods– made glass one of the most valuable materials of the present and future. Witnessing an immense progression and a broad innovative boost in the construction field, creating the perfect link between indoor and outdoor...

Economic and Environmental Impacts of Cascading System Implementation for Waste Wood Pallets in The Netherlands: Outline for a cascaded system towards a transition to waste pallets reuse practices

Upcycling of the biomass residues and wastes is a necessary innovation within the given environmental and economic trends, policies and regulations, competition and depletion of natural resources taking place nowadays. Thus, wood pallet upcycling is chosen in this thesis to be the ambassador of biomass. <br/>Research is built upon the...

Passive scrap singulation for demand-driven sorting

Aluminium is a vital component of the world's economy, thanks to its versatile applications. However, the environmental impacts of primary production result in a growing desire and societal pressure to develop more efficient recycling techniques. Secondary aluminium is produced at 5% of the energy consumption used to produce primary aluminium....

Towards circular cement: Evaluation of the reactivity of cementitious binder retrieved from recycled cement stone

The changing climate and the need for a new purpose for End-of-Life concrete increased the importance and interest of concrete recycling. To decrease the environmental footprint of concrete, in which cement has the highest contribution, it would be of great importance to be able to recycle cement, which would positively affect the environment....

The Circular Cornerstone: Applying a Circular Economy through Design for Disassembly to the development of Amstel III

In the first part of this Architectural master thesis the Circular Economy is studied and results are Applied to the Amstel III district in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In this study the Circular Strategies of Europe, the Netherlands and Amsterdam are distilled into 5 main drivers. The main driver this thesis focusses on is “Design for...

Triggering circularity: a process optimisation for VerdraaidGoed

VerdraaidGoed is a circularity consultancy with expertise in upcycling the waste of organisations. They are growing rapidly, and a scalable approach would be advantageous, so the company can expand without compromising performance and revenue. The assignment of this thesis is to find the best approach for the activities of VerdraaidGoed.<br/><br...

Valparaíso upcycling market

Circular Communities For Housing: Transforming waste plastic and glass into building blocks making housing construction simpler, cheaper, faster and more sustainable

Indonesia is one of the 5 countries in the world that contribute to around 60% of all the ocean plastics in the world. This thesis project is based in the kampungs of Cigondewah, in Bandung, Indonesia. This project tries to deal with the local economies of waste recycling and the informal housing industry. The kampungs are situated next to a...

Upcycling Centre Zuidoost: From waste to resource

The Zuidoost district is divided in mono-functional zones, such as housing in the Bijlmer and Holendrecht area and working in the Amstel III area. The Upcycling Centre Zuidoost will connect both sides in the future of 2050 in a physical, social and economic way. This is done by creating a building that becomes the driver of the circular economy....

Upcycle and Waste Depot

How urban intervention facilitates the current cultural significance of Cuban “accidental sustainability” for alternative recycling in order to develop a self-sustaining city with minimizing dependence of import?

It is possible to economically upcyle recycled aggregates

The waste management is a pregnant problematic in the European continent and in France too. The new paradigm called circular economy aims to be driver for the waste valorization. This objective is particularly applied in the civil engineering, the first generator of CDW (Construction and Demolition Waste) in France. In this context, except the...

From bottle to educational game: Upcycling plastic waste for educational purposes in Colombia

Within the scope of ‘circular economy in emerging markets’ the aim of this exploratory graduation project is to design a local application for educational purposes with the recycled PET filament that will be developed by Urban Mining in Colombia. A major issue in Colombia is the problem of plastic waste that often ends up in landfill as well as...

The Traditional Future: On resilient communities

“The Traditional Future” as a project seeks to re-imagine materiality in the Indonesian kampung, re-stimulate technical knowledge, and integrate local know-how into an inclusive space that empowers knowledge and self-production.

The Upp Cycle of Greentom

Greentom is a company new in the stroller market. They plan to expand their product portfolio with a vision; their customers should be able to re-use their product by giving it a second function. This project searched for widening the product line within a green product cycle. The project worked following the basic steps, like market and product...

Sustainable Flip-flops with personal fabrication

This graduation project is based on an active role of the consumer to be able to design, produce and use his/her own sustainable product. It combines Personal Fabrication and Co-creation with Sustainability in a product proposal for the company Enviu - Innovators in Sustainability. The three pillars of this project have been explored in the...