EPSCoR Co-PI Jennifer Bissonnette lead author on article in Chem Circularity
Abstract: An initiative of the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, Loop Lab is a centralized hub for material recycling at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), with a mission to turn campus waste streams into no-cost materials for student use. Staff, faculty, and students piloted a centralized system around collecting, rendering, and reconstituting waste, beginning with paper. End products are new sheets of handmade paper, paper briquettes, paper clays, and slurries for various art and design applications, including 3D molding and casting. These materials are free of charge to the RISD community, and workshops are held to help students incorporate these materials into their practices. In this first year, Loop Lab diverted over 1,500 pounds of paper waste from the landfill and filled nearly 300 orders across 26 of RISD’s departments, including 4 classes that foregrounded Loop Lab materials and practices as part of their curriculum.
Access full publication in Cell Press journal Chem Circularity
RI NSF EPSCoR is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreements #OIA-2433276 and in part by the RI Commerce Corporation via the Science and Technology Advisory Committee [STAC]. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the RI Commerce Corporation, STAC, our partners or our collaborators.