From classroom to experience: students embrace sustainability values
What does sustainability mean to our future leaders? The story of three University design students may be a clue to tell how sustainability is perceived in the eyes of the younger generation. To these students, sustainability means a change of behavior, a channel to improve our way of life, and also a chance to put what they have learned in lessons into real practice.
Year Four Students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s School of Design Brian Lee Long-yin, Ko Chun, and Whitnie Yvette Lau expose themselves to a systematic training of fundamental design skills and various Product Design methodologies through their academic studies, from which they gradually grow their interests and specialties in Sustainable Product Design. They develop a wide range of knowledge and skills through coursework and Cooperative Projects and expand business awareness by meeting decision-making business management. Through having conversations, the students are impressed by the fact that industry players are having increasing concerns if the end-products such as furniture items can be more sustainable and durable, and if they will be able to provide environmental and social benefits while protecting the environment over their whole life cycle. In the eyes of the three students, business leaders nowadays pay much more attention to sustainability and are more open-minded than they used to be.
Brian, Chun, and Whitnie are able to make a successful transition from lesson to practise as they participate in off-campus activities. Their eco-enthusiasm has driven them to serve as student helpers for three years to Smiley Planet, a local green enterprise, where they met and are inspired by sustainability professionals and learned a lot of new environmental things.
The year 2016 came with a breakthrough - they were given a challenge to test what they have learned. They were part of the core team of the ‘Go Cup’ campaign and they designed the campaign’s signature beverage cup!
‘Go Cup’ campaign was organized by Smiley Planet and first launched in autumn 2016. It aims to encourage citizens and diners to bring their own cups to eateries instead of using disposable ones. Many activities have been held to arouse public attention. To boost publicity, the organizer thought of producing an iconic beverage cup for the campaign. These three students were commissioned of this task. They managed to go through every step and process from devising product concept to manufacturing in around six months. It was a difficult task to start with, but they found it truly enjoyable along the way and they were tremendously delighted to witness the actual production of the beverage cups.
“We were given stringent requirements at the beginning. The campaign organizer wanted a signature cup which was light in weight (around 100 grams) and handy in size to hold 12 oz of beverage. We had to be eco-centric about the choice of materials and we finally picked durable and recyclable plastics. We brainstormed and came up with different ideas and we compromised with manufacturing limitations. It’s beyond words to express how delighted we are to see its birth finally,” they spoke with satisfaction on their faces.
The students spent much time on making their sketches and improving their design
They attended meetings with various parties and exchanged seriously on the design of the beverage cup
These students went through an amazing journey. It was about problem-solving, collaborating with others and accepting constructive criticism. It was about turning their skills acquired in school, their creativity and their passion for sustainability into a successful product which was mass produced. Whitnie and Brian further explained the uniqueness of their design. “There is a rubber band at the lid so that we can attach a sugar packet to the cup. Space is allocated for users to customize the cup and craft their names on it. There is a trick here – a small stirrer is attached to the lid – so you won’t need to get any extra stirrer with you. You can help save the planet by cutting the use of paper beverage cups and reducing the one-time use of plastic stirrers in one go.”
They reflected on their experiences and admitted that they have changed throughout these recent years. They have become more sensitive to sustainability issues. “I used to be quite aloof from environmental discussions. Now I can tell I am different from what I was before,” said Brian. “I have devoted more time to topics of global warming and climate change. I am gradually picking up habits to stay green. Apart from having my own cup, I am also bringing my own cutlery items to restaurants and cutting down the use of straws. I am often reminding myself of the downsides of takeout containers. Most of all, I am sharing all these messages with my peers via online social platforms. It will be good if they can join me and become more eco-minded with their daily habits.”
“We can all do little things every day and make a less harmful impact on the environment. We have to set the examples ourselves and I believe our actions can inspire others,” Brian explained and Whitnie offered her support. “I think our peers on campus are looking at things with a green mindset nowadays. They are becoming more conscious of going green. They are paying more attention to the environment and they are more aware of their responsibilities to our earth,” Whitnie said.
“Things have been done on campus to arouse awareness about sustainability. We see the recycling bins around us. We enjoy discounts when we bring our own mugs and cutleries at dining outlets. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement and more effective measures should be considered to engage the campus community,” Chun remarked. “There are widespread discussions on sustainability over the internet. We read figures and reports and it is easy to know our planet is sick. Shocking statistics reveal that we are throwing away too much waste such as disposable cups and one-time products. I think more should be done to alarm everyone on campus about this.” Brian supplemented his ideas.
Brian, Chun, and Whitnie are among the young generation who care about the world. They are able to comprehend the importance of environment and have their unique visions of a sustainable future. They are thoughtful and capable of telling that sustainability means more than adopting a green lifestyle, and they are engaging others to join them as drivers of change.