The 2017 Seventeenth Annual UMM Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) celebrates student scholarly achievement and creative activities. Students from all disciplines participate in the URS. Types of presentations include posters, oral presentations, and short or abbreviated theatrical, dance, or musical performances.
Presentations are accompanied by discussions and multimedia.
Aluminized plastics are one type of waste that cannot be efficiently recycled. They are also often used in the packaging of snack foods. Moreover, even easily recycled products such as aluminum cans and PET plastic bottles are often wasted, with only 55.1% and 31.2% of them recycled, respectively. Food waste is even less likely to be properly disposed of, with only 5.1% of food waste composted in the U.S. in 2014. I aim to bring awareness to these problems of unsustainable waste by creating an evening dress from aluminized plastic wrappers found in UMM garbage cans. While retrieving my materials, I also sort out and document other compostables and recyclables mistakenly thrown away to estimate the amount of materials that could easily be diverted from the landfill. Thus, this project is also intended to bring awareness to opportunities to increase the amount of materials recycled on campus by presenting a report of material diverted, alongside the displayed dress. This project takes the concept of fashion trashion, a class with the goal of making an outfit entirely from trash, and expands upon it. Rather than simply making a dress from any waste, I am using one of the few materials that cannot be recycled at UMM. Also, beyond just a piece of fashion, this project creates a measurable positive impact on the environment, through its diversion of waste from the landfill.