Students turn cardboard boxes into sustainable furniture

Students from the Level 3 3D & Mixed Media Design course at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) have been transforming waste cardboard into functional, sustainable furniture as part of a creative induction project focused on environmental responsibility and design.

The project challenged first-year students to work in teams to design and construct a piece of furniture or body support using only cardboard and masking tape. The brief required students to research bridge construction techniques and apply their findings to create structures that were not only visually striking but also strong enough to support weight.

The materials used were sourced from the College’s summer IT upgrade, which left behind a significant amount of packaging from new Dell computers. Rather than sending this waste to landfill, the Creative department saw an opportunity to repurpose the cardboard into a valuable learning resource.

Students experimented with different types of cardboard, using tools such as scalpels, Stanley knives, and even bandsaws to shape their designs. Student, Gloria Kelly explained: “We designed the chair through trial and error, testing different structures until we found one that could hold the weight. Nothing new was used – everything was reused. Sustainability is important because it helps protect resources for the future; we all have a role in that.”

Some of the final pieces even retained visible Dell branding, a deliberate choice to highlight the material’s origin and the importance of reuse. The project also supported the development of key functional skills in ICT, maths and English, with students required to annotate their designs, present their ideas and evaluate their outcomes.

Bill Moorley, 3D & Mixed Media Design lecturer said: “We wanted students to think critically about sustainability and material use. They researched the lifecycle of cardboard and discovered that a surprising amount still ends up in landfill. This project encouraged them to see waste as a resource and to explore how temporary materials can still have value in design and model-making.”

This initiative is part of a wider cross-departmental effort to embed sustainability into creative practice, including Fashion students creating sustainable fashion pieces and Production Arts and Technical Theatre Management students exploring how to reuse materials for set and prop construction in upcoming performances.

The project not only encouraged creative thinking and teamwork but also raised awareness of sustainable design practices. By repurposing everyday materials, students gained hands-on experience in environmentally conscious design, reinforcing BSDC’s commitment to embedding sustainability across its curriculum and inspiring learners to think differently about waste and resource use.