A team of innovators, Team Repurpose, comprising three students from BRAC University, Bangladesh, and two international collaborators, has won the international pitch competition “Launch a Different World 2024” with their sustainable plastic recycling solution. The team earned the top prize of $1,500 by showcasing a low-cost method to create 3D printing materials and sustainable products from recyclable plastic.
The team aims to implement their solution to reduce plastic waste, foster social development, and promote a circular economy.
The members of Team Repurpose include Mohammad Imran Uddin, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student, and Mahyuddin Ahmed and Abtahi Abrar, both Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students from BRAC University. Their international teammates are Wei Ju Huang, an oceanography student at National Taiwan University, and Maria Vlaikova, a management student at the American University in Bulgaria.
The team plans to launch a pilot project in Bangladesh to test 3D printing filaments for architectural modeling and customized gift production. They are collaborating with institutions such as Eindhoven University of Technology, recycling filament manufacturer Recycling Fabric, and 3D printing service provider Tangible Creative.
“This project has the potential to pave the way for a sustainable future starting from Bangladesh,” the team stated. They believe that if successfully implemented in Bangladesh, the solution can be adapted in other countries as well.
The pitch competition was part of the Social Entrepreneurship Practicum course under the Open Society University Network and was taught during the Fall 2024 semester. It involved instructors from universities and institutions in Bangladesh, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, the United States, Lithuania, South Africa, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and Ghana. The prize was sponsored by Bard College, USA.
At BRAC University, the course was led by Dr. Sebastian Groh from BRAC Business School and Neelana Naushin from the School of General Education.
