2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

BOARD # 183: MAKER – Recycling Post Consumer Waste Via Vacuum Forming Processes

Presented at Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Plastics are one of the most highly talked about materials in the conversation of recycling and waste management. However, plastic can be one of the most difficult post-consumer wastes to recycle. Many differing types of plastics, the cost of processing, low quality results, and dirty or contaminated plastic containers are some of the many issues plaguing the process of plastic recycling. That’s not to mention the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic that go straight to the landfill each year. Discarded plastic waste is a large-scale issue in which everyone plays a part. As such, individual efforts to reduce waste can combine leading to a great impact in reducing the amount of plastic finding its way into a landfill or waterway. This paper documents efforts to establish a new way for the community at _________ to recycle and reuse post-consumer waste utilizing the process of vacuum forming. Using a vacuum forming, students could quickly, easily, and sustainably recycle sheets of discarded plastics into something new. For example, a student may come into the makerspace one day with a cleaned-out milk jug, spend 5-10 minutes at the vacuum forming machine, and leave with star-shaped candle mold. This paper details the way the simple machines are made in the _______ Makerspace, products that can be made with the machines, and students' feedback on the making experience.

Authors

Dr. Austin Talley Texas State University [biography]

Dr. Austin Talley is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State University. Prior to joining the faculty at Texas State University, Dr. Austin Talley worked as a manufacturing quality engineer for a test and measurement company, National Instruments, in Austin,
TX. Dr. Austin Talley is a licensed by state of Texas as a Professional Engineer. Both of Dr. Austin Talley’s graduate degrees, a doctorate and masters in Mechanical Engineering, manufacturing and design area, are from the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, Dr. Austin Talley holds an undergraduate
degree from Texas A&M University in Mechanical Engineering. His research is in engineering design theory and engineering education. He has published over 30 papers in engineering education journals and conference proceedings. He has worked to implement multiple National Science Foundation (NSF)
grants focused on engineering education. He has been an instructor in more than ten week long summer K-12 teach Professional Development Institutes (PDI). He has received multiple teaching awards. He has developed design based curriculum for multiple K-12 teach PDIs and student summer camps.
Logan Mallow Texas State University

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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