Students shape a greener future through design

3D and Mixed Media students at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) recently showcased a sustainability-themed exhibition on campus, highlighting how creative design can give new life to discarded materials.

As part of this year’s induction project, students engaged in hands-on design activities that explored the creative potential of waste. From collecting found objects to experimenting with mark-making techniques, each task encouraged learners to reimagine rubbish as a resource for innovative design.

At the heart of the project was a deep investigation into materials: their origins, environmental impact, and the importance of reuse. Students were asked to consider a central question:
“How can waste be elevated into high-quality, purposeful design?”

A key focus was the reuse of discarded paper, specifically paper destined for the bin. Students enhanced this material using expressive mark-making techniques with found tools and objects, creating richly textured surfaces. They used this to develop structural forms designed to serve interior functions such as lighting, sculptural elements or spatial dividers.

As part of Great Big Green Week (7th–15th June), students created an immersive exhibition to showcase their final pieces in situ and at near-real scale, highlighting how repurposed materials can be meaningfully integrated into interior spaces.

Great Big Green Week is the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. During the week, communities, schools, colleges, businesses and more joined together in a wave of support for action to protect the planet.

The exhibition was well received by staff, students and visitors, sparking conversations around sustainability and creative reuse. Many attendees praised the originality and ambition of the work on display. The project not only celebrated artistic talent, but also demonstrated how design education can inspire positive environmental action, empowering the next generation to approach global challenges with creativity, confidence and care.

Kiran Moorley, Creative Tutor at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: “This exhibition is more than a display of creativity; it’s a powerful learning experience that reinforces essential ideas about the design process, sustainability and purposeful making. It invites both creators and viewers to rethink our relationship with materials and the impact of the choices we make.

“While sustainable practices often emerge naturally in artistic processes, this project encouraged learners to think more deeply about why sustainability matters. By making conscious, intentional design choices, students discovered how creativity can drive meaningful change. This awareness lays a strong foundation for their future studies and careers.”