REPIC and Manchester Met launch student design commission

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Students at Manchester Metropolitan University have today been given the opportunity to design a professional commission for Greater Manchester based, REPIC, the largest household WEEE producer compliance scheme in the UK.

To mark the 4th International E-Waste Day, REPIC, who collect, treat and responsibly recycle waste electricals on behalf of manufacturers of household electrical products, have teamed up with Manchester Met to give local students the opportunity to undertake the work.

The live brief, released today, is to create a three-dimensional sculpture made exclusively of components and materials sourced from used electrical and electronic equipment.

The environmental artwork will serve as a central focus for REPIC’s outreach, awareness and promotion events. The student’s final design needs to inspire people to think about their role in recycling and reusing electricals and the part they play in supporting a more circular economy. The judges will also be looking for the commission to portray REPIC’s company values of responsible recycling, a healthy and safe environment, collaboration and partnership.

Louise Grantham, chief executive of REPIC, comments: “From this commission we are looking for the creative minds of the talented students at Manchester Met to design a real talking point.

“Previously, The WEEE Man, a seven metre tall robot sculpture, who found permanent residence at the Eden Project helped spark conversations and raise awareness around the benefits of recycling electricals and we’re looking to create a similar impact - albeit on a much smaller scale!

“The brief poses a great challenge for the students in marrying a striking design with the need to showcase the potential for reuse and responsible recycling of end-of-life electricals; this allows valuable components and materials to be put back into the production and the supply chain.”

The winning commission will be used and supported by REPIC at various exhibitions, conferences, and key events that are well attended by leading industry representatives and the public sector. Alongside the sculpture the winning artist's name and a short synopsis will be on display. When not on tour, the environmental artwork will have pride of place at REPIC’s head office at Waterfold Business Park, Bury for visitors to view and admire.

Household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is anything which requires electricity to work either through a power lead, cable or a battery. The UK currently recycles around 500,000 tonnes of household WEEE, but research shows that some unwanted electricals are hoarded or disposed of through incorrect routes and more can be done to keep the valuable resources found in all waste electricals in circulation, to help reduce environmental impacts of raw material extraction and support a more circular economy.

Download the brief here https://www.mmu.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/repic-design-brief.pdf