Mission Short

“UM Circular Hub - Materials for Tomorrow” creates an integrated physical and digital platform enabling the entire UM community to participate in circular economy practices by reusing, repairing, and repurposing materials across furniture, textiles, electronics, and supplies, while building a culture of sustainability and reducing waste sent to landfills.

The Challenge

Maastricht University currently operates with a linear consumption model despite alignment with sustainability goals: Waste Generation & Inefficiency: • Current campus recycling rate stands at 37% (2019 baseline), falling short of the 55% target for 2026 • Student end-of-semester departures generate approximately 20-30 tonnes of waste quarterly (furniture, textiles, electronics) • Departments routinely discard functional furniture and equipment during office renovations due to lack of redistribution channels • Campus generates an estimated 80-120 tonnes general waste annually, with significant portions potentially recoverable Fragmented Existing Efforts: • While UM has commendable initiatives (Precious Plastic Maastricht, Swap Room, PreZero partnership), these remain siloed with limited cross-campus awareness and participation • The Swap Room, despite success (1,000+ items exchanged), operates informally with no integrated digital system or promotion mechanism • No centralized mechanism exists for departments to redistribute surplus materials systematically • No comprehensive data on material flows, waste composition, or reuse potential Behavioral & Structural Barriers: • Limited awareness among students and staff about reuse and repair options • Inconvenient access to reuse infrastructure scattered across campus • Lack of incentives or gamification to encourage circular behaviors • No visibility into environmental or financial impact of individual actions • Limited repair culture; functional items are discarded due to perception they’re “too old” • E-waste and textile waste streams are particularly neglected despite high environmental impact Financial Opportunity Cost: • Departments spend €50,000-100,000 annually on new furniture and equipment replacements that could instead source from internal recycling streams • UM’s procurement budgets could be significantly reduced through systematic material redistribution Alignment Gap: • UM’s Sustainability Roadmap 2030 emphasizes “Circularity” as a core pillar, yet operational infrastructure to operationalize circular economy principles is underdeveloped compared to institutional ambition

The solution

UM Circular Hub is a three-pillar integrated system that transforms waste into a resource by centralizing, systematizing, and gamifying material reuse across campus: Pillar 1: Physical Hub Infrastructure A dedicated, welcoming space within the Sustainability Hub functioning as a central material redistribution center. The hub features four functional zones: • Furniture & Equipment Zone: Accepts desks, chairs, shelving, lab benches, and office equipment. Items are assessed for condition, photographed, and catalogued. The hub facilitates inter-departmental transfers and performs minor repairs (re-upholstering, tightening bolts, adjusting height mechanisms). • Textile Hub: Dedicated area for clothing, lab coats, uniforms, and fabrics. Materials are sorted by condition (wearable vs. upcycling-appropriate), organized by size/type, and made visually appealing for monthly swap markets. Damaged items feed into upcycling workshops. • Electronics & Tech Corner: Secure collection point for outdated or surplus computers, monitors, peripherals, and mobile devices. Includes IT department partnership for data security wiping. Functional items are refurbished for “Second Life Tech” program serving students in financial need. Non-repairable items are sent to certified e-waste recyclers (Weeee.nl). • Repair & Upcycling Workshop: Equipped with hand tools, sewing machines, soldering equipment, and work surfaces. Student volunteers and trained staff facilitate repair cafés (monthly) and upcycling workshops (quarterly), teaching community members practical repair and creative reuse skills. Operations: Open 5 days/week during peak campus hours; staffed by 5-8 trained student ambassadors earning €160/month stipend. All items receive QR codes linking to digital database with photos, condition assessment, and reuse journey documentation. Pillar 2: Digital Ecosystem - “UM CircleHub” App A user-friendly platform enabling seamless material sharing across UM community: • Core Features: • Post & Request Module: Departments and individuals post surplus materials; others can request or claim items • Real-Time Inventory: Visual displays of available items by waste stream and location • Geolocation: Shows pickup points and collection schedules across campus • User Ratings: Reputation system building trust and accountability • Impact Dashboard: Calculates carbon footprint saved, money conserved, and items diverted per user/department • Notifications: Alerts users when items matching saved searches are posted • Gamification Elements: • Faculty/department leaderboards (“Top Recyclers of the Month”) • Individual achievement badges (“Repair Champion,” “Zero-Waste Semester”) • Carbon offset visualizations (e.g., “Your reuse actions saved 150 kg CO₂”) • Collective campus challenges (e.g., “Can we divert 1 tonne this semester?”) • Data Architecture: • Tracks all material flows: source, type, condition, destination • Generates monthly sustainability reports visible to administration • Feeds into UM’s broader sustainability metrics and Roadmap 2030 accountability Pillar 3: Community Engagement & Culture-Building Strategic programs embedding circular economy values into campus culture: Monthly Events: • Swap Markets (1st Friday): Open marketplace where anyone brings items; free textile exchanges, furniture browsing, equipment discovery • Repair Cafés (3rd Thursday): Community repair sessions for electronics, textiles, small furniture; led by volunteers; teaches practical skills Seasonal Initiatives: • “Move-Out Makeover” (End of each semester): Targeted collection drives for student departures; pop-up collection points in residence halls capture ~500-800 items • “Upcycling Workshops” (Quarterly): Creative reuse projects (e.g., old lab coats → tote bags; broken shelving → wall art); participant-driven innovation Ambassador Program: • “Circular Champions”: 5-8 students selected as project leaders • Responsibilities: Staff hub daily, promote on social media, organize events, train volunteers, gather impact data • Compensation: €160/month (4-month commitment) = €640-1,280 total • Recruitment: Open to all majors; emphasis on personal passion for sustainability Faculty Engagement: • “Sustainability Sprint” Competitions: Faculties compete monthly for most items reused/donated; winner recognized in UM newsletter • Department Partnerships: Coordinate with administration, facilities, research groups to map surplus materials • Incentives: Winning departments get recognition + option to reinvest cost savings into faculty sustainability projects Integration Points: • Orientation sessions for new students (demonstrate CircleHub) • Integration with student societies for volunteer mobilization • Partnership with existing UM initiatives (Precious Plastic Maastricht, PreZero) • Collaboration with Sustainability Office on Roadmap 2030 implementation Expected Impact Metrics • 3-5 tonnes material diverted from waste streams (Year 1) • 800-1,200 UM community members engaged • €8,000-12,000 departmental procurement cost savings • 8-12 tonnes CO₂ equivalent prevented through reuse vs. new manufacturing • 500+ registered app users • 1,000+ volunteer hours contributed • 50+ events hosted (swap markets, repair cafés, workshops)