The Loop Lab Initiative at RISD Alters Campus Waste into Resources
The Loop Lab initiative at the Rhode Island School of Design turns campus waste into new design materials that support hands-on learning in sustainable practice. Funded by a $100,000 grant from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the program collects discarded paper, textiles, and fabrication offcuts from across the campus and processes them into usable resources such as pulp, sheets, bricks, and clay. The initiative introduces a closed-loop model for creative production, aligning education with environmental responsibility.
Students participate directly in the transformation process, learning to shred, soak, and press waste into new forms through workshops and studio sessions. The materials are shared through RISD's Second Life Exchange, promoting cross-disciplinary reuse and experimentation. By embedding sustainability into the curriculum, Loop Lab demonstrates how design education can model circular thinking and redefine waste as a foundation for innovation.