Collaborative and Individual Work in the Engineering Design Studio

In the Engineering Design Studio, our projects begin by identifying a problem. We fully explore and understand that problem before moving forward with any solution. In our case this semester, the problem was single-use plastic waste on Boise State’s campus, and the fact that they end up in landfills instead of being recycled. 

Our team alternated between individual and group efforts. We brainstormed solutions as a team then delegated the individual research and testing. My research involved exploring the different material properties of PET plastic as well as the effects of crystallinity on the material. Ultimately we regrouped to come up with various solutions, prototypes, and presentations for feedback. The collaborative efforts led to us identifying the most efficient methods for each stage of the recycling process, including cleaning, drying, and cutting the plastic.

Engineering Design Studio - Real World Experience

My experience in the Engineering Design Studio at Boise State was unlike any other class I took. All of the student groups work on real world problems that will benefit real people - more than just a grade in a class. Some groups focus on assistive technology for specific clients with disabilities. Other groups, like mine this semester, focused on sustainability. It was such a unique and interesting opportunity to work on a relevant problem that our campus is facing, in this case wastefulness of plastics. We were doing much more than simply completing a class for college credits, and it will make a lasting difference on our campus and in our world.

Ethical Implications of Engineering Projects

My group’s project contains a very important underlying ethical aspect, which has to do with the common good of our society. All humans have the basic right to things like clean water and clean air. Our earth has been dealing with issues of pollution and litter for decades now, especially with plastics. We are working to reduce our campus’ waste stream in general as well as convert the used plastic to something usable again. This affected our project because in many stages of our recycling process, we had to evaluate the amount of energy used and analyze the difference between recycling a bottle versus letting the bottle go to waste in a landfill. Using the process that we did, in terms of washing in the dishwasher, cutting with the horizontal bandsaw, drying in the oven, and shredding in a paper shredder, we discovered this does in fact use a fairly significant amount of energy. The recycling process is only beneficial from an energy and pollution standpoint when it's being done on plastic in bulk. It's important for engineers to remember when they work on sustainability projects that energy waste contributes to pollution and global warming just as plastic waste contributes to litter and land destruction.