Abstract:

Higher education is increasingly promoting sustainability-oriented and interdisciplinary learning environments that connect students from different academic fields through real-world challenges. In this context, this project engages students from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the School of Experimental Sciences and Technology at Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain) in a collaborative initiative based on the reuse of material residues generated in their academic activities.

The project involved undergraduate students from degrees in Integral Design and Image Management, Fashion Design and Management, Fine Arts, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Technologies Engineering and Industrial Organization Engineering. Residues from laboratory sessions such as cured resins, metals, textiles, wood pieces or plastic scraps were collected in dedicated containers installed in the university campuses of Madrid, Aranjuez and Móstoles. These materials were then exchanged between students from different degrees: arts students transformed engineering residues into artistic or functional products (e.g., jewelry pieces made from metal offcuts or cured resins), while engineering students used residues from arts-related courses (e.g., fabric patterns or wood pieces) to manufacture functional aluminum components through casting or to create molds for design applications. Additional residues generated in university facilities were also incorporated. For example, soldering tin wire was used to create rings or frying oils from cafeterias were used to produce handmade soaps.

A dynamic and continuously expanding catalogue of residues was developed as part of the project. This catalogue documents the types of materials generated in each course, their potential reuses and the proposals suggested by students. It serves both as an academic resource and as a tool to promote sustainable practices and transversal collaboration within the university.

More than 200 students participated in surveys assessing their perception of the project. Students who generated residues rated the initiative with 4.38/5 (engineering) and 4.40/5 (arts), while students who received the materials rated it even higher, with 4.91/5 and 4.75/5 respectively. Across all degrees, the collaborative dimension of the project was valued very positively, with a minimum score above 4.35/5 as a method to foster interdisciplinary cooperation.

The results highlight that students not only enjoyed the experience but also perceived it as meaningful, sustainable and motivating. The project successfully strengthened the connection between theory and practice, enhanced communication between departments and encouraged students to approach material reuse from a circular-economy perspective. Additionally, it provided a replicable model for interdisciplinary collaboration that can be extended in future academic years.

Keywords:

Sustainability, Interdisciplinary, Collaboration, Circular Practices, Creativity.