Recycled Futures with Collective Sustainability: Partnering for Beautiful, Inclusive, and Sustainable Street Furniture | NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-03

Who are we?

At Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Türkiye, researchers from the Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Textile Engineering bring together extensive experience in developing sustainable products using composite materials made from recycled plastic and textile waste. Our interdisciplinary team has collaborated on several projects that prioritize circular economy principles — transforming waste into value-added solutions for urban living, interior insulation, animal well-being, and workspace organization.

What is the project about?

We are developing a New European Bauhaus-aligned project that transforms textile and plastic waste into beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable street furniture for public transportation hubs (e.g. bus, tram or train stops). These units (e.g., benches, bins, wall panels) will act as both recycling collection points and visible, functional showcases of material reuse. In this project, we as a team from Industrial Design and Textile Engineering will develop and coordinate a design research methodology, lab-scale production, testing.

Each stop will demonstrate the circular journey of waste, while also offering shelter, seating, and educational content. Virtually connected across cities, the stops will encourage collective awareness, international dialogue, and local ownership in sustainability. 

In this project, our interdisciplinary team from Industrial Design and Textile Engineering will lead the development and coordination of a comprehensive participatory design research methodology, industrial design, the lab-scale production of recycled composites, material and performance testing.

What do we expect?

• Local authorities are expected to provide access to pilot sites, support the integration of the designed prototypes into the public infrastructure, and facilitate community engagement through communication and outreach activities.

• Manufacturing partners are expected to contribute to the production and technical refinement of prototypes using recycled composite materials, ensuring their feasibility, scalability, and compliance with safety and durability standards.

• Researchers and academic partners will lead the development and testing of sustainable materials, conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and performance analysis including pilot-scale production and testing, and contribute to evidence-based recommendations for circular public design practices.

HORIZON-NEB-2025-01-PARTICIPATION-03: Beautiful, sustainable and inclusive street furniture for the transformation of neighbourhoods.

If you are interested in joining our consortium or discussing collaboration possibilities, please contact us.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Koray Gelmez, gelmez@itu.edu.tr