Enhancing Dorm Recycling

Recycling on college campuses often presents significant challenges. Despite students' genuine concern for the environment, they encounter obstacles such as confusing bin systems, insufficient guidance, and unclear recycling processes. Our project aimed to understand these issues deeply and reimagine the recycling experience in student dormitories to be more effective and engaging.

Using Lextant’s pioneering approach to design for emotions, we embarked on a comprehensive research journey. Our methods included journey mapping, surveys, interviews, and sensory cues to delve into students' motivations and challenges regarding recycling. From this, we identified key pillars of an ideal recycling experience: transparency, confidence, engagement, and education.

Through our school’s partnership with Lextant, we received a Design Research and Translation certificate, validating the rigor and impact of our project. Our framework serves as a blueprint for further design processes, offering a guide to enhance recycling systems in similar environments. By applying these insights, institutions can foster a culture of sustainability that is both effective and engaging for students.