Deusto, first educational institution to create furniture from its plastic waste

The University of Deusto has become the first educational institution to design and produce furniture for its own facilities using recycled plastic waste generated on campus as raw material. This is achieved through the CircularDeusto project, a pioneering initiative led by Marcelo Leslabay, professor and researcher in the Industrial Design Engineering degree, in collaboration with the SPRI Group and Basque Circular Hub (IHOBE). The project positions the university at the forefront of the circular economy and eco-design applied to the educational environment.

At the Deusto FabLab digital fabrication laboratory, students, alongside faculty and design professionals, have begun transforming plastic bottles used on campus into recycled material sheets, which serve as the base for creating furniture and equipment. The process includes all phases: from the collection, crushing and pressing of the plastic to the design and production of new functional objects for the university environment.

In the cafeterias of the University of Deusto’s Bilbao campus alone, more than 100,000 bottles are consumed each year. CircularDeusto was created with the aim of giving a second life to this waste, reducing the environmental impact of university activity and promoting a change in consumption habits among the community.

The project also includes the creation of the Circular Deusto Seal, which will identify products and organisations aligned with this philosophy of responsible production, as well as the launch of the Ihobe/Deusto Eco-design and Circular Economy Award, aimed at Bachelor’s and Master’s final year projects that contribute to promoting sustainable solutions within the university environment.

This initiative demonstrates that design can be a powerful tool for change, and that a university can lead by example—transforming its waste into resources and its ideas into real impact.