Schiedam students transform cardboard waste into innovative circular solutions
Students in Schiedam are turning discarded cardboard into reusable products like custom shipping boxes and cat litter, showcasing how education and local businesses can drive sustainability. Their projects highlight practical steps toward a circular economy, benefiting both the environment and the community.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Schiedam, Zuid-Holland |
| Students Involved | ~25 students (4 havo and 4 vwo) |
| Educational Partners | Scholengemeenschap Spieringshoek (Technasium), MakersMind |
| Business Partner | Orga (local company) |
| Project Duration | One semester |
| Innovations Developed | Modular cardboard puzzle pieces for shipping boxes, absorbent cat litter |
| Event | Circular Economy Week |
| Municipal Support | Municipality of Schiedam (connects education and business for sustainability) |
| Key Quote | “This project shows that what starts small can have great potential.” – Christian van Beest, Orga |
The Municipality of Schiedam plays a facilitating role in fostering collaboration between education and businesses to promote sustainable innovation. By connecting local companies with students, the municipality supports talent development and circular economy initiatives, aligning with broader national sustainability goals.
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Read the full translated article below
Schiedam students give cardboard a second life for Circular Economy Week
The Municipality of Schiedam encourages initiatives where education and business collaborate on sustainable solutions. The municipality actively connects partners in this process. In the lead-up to Circular Economy Week, students from Schiedam have worked on innovative applications for the reuse of cardboard packaging materials. Under the guidance of MakersMind and the Technasium of Scholengemeenschap Spieringshoek, students took on the challenge in collaboration with local company Orga.
“This project demonstrates how the circular economy, innovation, and talent development go hand in hand,” says alderman Frans Hamerslag. “With initiatives like this, Schiedam is taking concrete steps toward a future where raw materials are used more efficiently and reuse becomes second nature. The collaboration between education, businesses, and the municipality can yield excellent results, and we clearly see that here.”
From classroom assignment to circular applications
Around 25 students from 4 havo and 4 vwo worked on practical challenges from Orga over the course of a semester. The central question was how used cardboard within the company could be reused instead of discarded. Technasium teacher Femke van Stralen says: “While adults are often constrained by frameworks, our students think outside the box and come up with surprising, sustainable solutions.”
The students explored various possibilities and translated their ideas into designs and prototypes. This led to a range of concepts. One group developed a modular system of ‘puzzle pieces’ that allows used cardboard scraps to be transformed into custom-sized shipping boxes. Another group devised a method to process cardboard into absorbent material, for example, for cat litter. “This project shows that what starts small can have great potential,” says Christian van Beest of Orga. “The packaging flows we work with are familiar to many companies in the manufacturing industry. By handling them more intelligently, opportunities arise for broader circular applications.”
Connecting education and practice
Joel van Wijngaarden of MakerMinds says: “We believe the most valuable learning experiences arise when students work on real-world challenges with impact. By linking a local company’s challenge to the creativity of students, both innovative applications and talent development for the region emerge.”
About Circular Economy Week
Circular Economy Week is a national campaign week in which companies, governments, and educational institutions showcase how they are working toward an economy without waste. Throughout the Netherlands, activities are organized to share knowledge, encourage collaboration, and highlight circular initiatives.