Science Maker Award

A future-friendly award

The Science Maker Award is a prize for children who have completed impressive research projects. These young innovators could one day change the world with their ideas, and such ambition deserves a prize to match.

We didn’t want to create just another decorative trophy that would eventually be discarded. Instead, we aimed to design an award that embodies the same spirit as the children who receive it. We challenged ourselves to create a future-friendly award by using no new (virgin) materials.

PLA plastic, commonly used for 3D printing, is particularly easy to recycle. We collected discarded 3D prints, leftover pieces, and other PLA plastic waste from around the city of Groningen, and repurposed these materials to create something new.

The result? 150 unique awards, each one distinct in shape and color. We reused approximately 10 kilograms of PLA plastic (with any production leftovers being reused again), with no virgin material involved.