UC Challenge Helps Students Turn Waste Into Wonderful

Each year, second-year Industrial Product Design students and third-year Chemical Formulation Design students at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) collaborate to develop innovative products and business models, transforming waste materials like tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves and discarded batteries into sustainable, purposeful solutions.

Since its launch in 2020, the programme has engaged between 60 to 80 students annually, offering a real-world platform to apply academic knowledge to global environmental issues.

Now led by Senior Lecturer Dr Ali Reza Nazmi and Lecturer Dr Hossein Najaf Zadeh from UC’s School of Product Design, the challenge also receives support from the Biomolecular Interaction Centre and the Product Accelerator initiative.

“We aim to empower students to creatively address the environmental impact of waste through product design and entrepreneurship,” Dr Zadeh says.

“By competing in this challenge, students gain a competitive edge, combining technical skills with entrepreneurial insights – a combination sought after in today’s job market,” he says.

Dr Nazmi, who is the director of studies of UC’s Chemical Formulation Design major, says it’s more than a design challenge. “It’s about reimagining waste as a starting point for innovation. We’re teaching students to design not just new but better products. Our world doesn’t just need more things – it needs solutions that are ethical, sustainable, and add real value.

“In the UC Waste Challenge, students take something as simple as cabbage tree leaves or waste batteries and turn them into products with real purpose. This isn’t just about design; it’s about creating a more sustainable future,” Dr Nazmi says.

The competition culminates in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch, where teams compete for a share of $5000 in development funding and coveted spots in the UC Centre for Entrepreneurship’s Summer Startup programme, fostering practical skills in pitching, sustainability, and ethical design.

Industry experts and former winners judge the pitches, providing mentorship and feedback that help students refine their ideas.

Dr Nazmi says the challenge is a low-risk, friendly environment where students can develop critical pitching skills. “It’s a chance to put ideas out there, build confidence, and even take projects beyond the classroom into actual business opportunities.

“Many have used this opportunity to launch innovative startups, with notabl

e successes like KiwiFibre and Teiny emerging from this programme,” he says.

“New Zealand has a unique opportunity to shift from primary industry to high-tech, sustainable innovation. We’re blending innovation with industry to push ideas that could make a real difference.”

“This challenge aligns with Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, creating future-ready graduates who can tackle global challenges,” Dr Zadeh says.

The UC School of Product Design received the 2024 Advancing Sustainability Knowledge Award and were celebrated at Hui Whakamānawa | Celebration of Success.

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