Turning Nylon Waste into a “Green Statement” - The Creative Startup Journey of Students from the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU)
The “TDTU Student Startup Idea Search Competition for the 2025 - 2026 academic year,” organized by Ton Duc Thang University, has become a dynamic platform connecting knowledge, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit of students across the University. This year, the competition attracted 43 projects from 14 faculties and the Khanh Hoa Branch, implemented across five key areas: Manufacturing and product development; Education, tourism, services, and finance; Healthcare - wellness - beauty technology; Social impact entrepreneurship; and Sports business. The scale and quality of the participating projects highlight the diversity of entrepreneurial thinking, the ability to link specialized knowledge with practical needs, and reflect the proactive spirit of TDTU students in seeking innovative solutions toward sustainable development and positive social impact.
Among the participating projects, the entry by students Tran Huynh Chau and Nguyen Khai Nghiem from the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts won the Encouragement Prize with the project “Business Development of Product Designs Using Recycled Nylon Sheets Applied to Product Form Creation in Ho Chi Minh City.” The project stood out for its design approach closely associated with environmental issues, transforming nylon waste into products of aesthetic value and social significance. Previously, the project was also awarded Second Prize at the 27th Euréka Student Scientific Research Awards in the Culture and Arts category, demonstrating its rigorous research foundation and strong potential for sustainable practical application.
Transforming waste into designed products
Driven by the desire to contribute to addressing plastic waste challenges in major urban areas, the student team devoted significant time to research and experimentation to “revive” recycled nylon into thermally pressed material sheets with high aesthetic value. Based on this material foundation, the team developed design products with a modern and youthful style, aligned with the preferences of young consumers. Nylon sheets once regarded as waste have now become creative materials bearing unique character and conveying positive environmental messages.
The project originated in 2024 when the team participated in the “From Waste To Wow” competition organized by LimLoop - a creative platform centered on designing handbags from recycled nylon. After the competition, the team recognized the significant potential of recycled nylon materials not only in addressing urgent environmental issues, but also in creating employment opportunities for vulnerable labor groups. From these initial experiences, the team decided to further develop the project in a more in-depth direction, aiming to reshape the perspectives of communities and businesses on products made from recycled materials.
The project focuses on transforming nylon waste into unique material sheets and applying them to the creation of aesthetically refined products. Beyond product development, the project aspires to build a green urban ecosystem, where economic, environmental, and social values are harmoniously connected. However, during implementation, the team has also faced numerous challenges, particularly limitations in facilities and equipment. Currently, industrial irons are used to thermally press the nylon sheets, meaning that producing a single 50 × 50 cm material sheet takes approximately 20 minutes, requiring considerable effort and perseverance at every stage of the process.
Recycled products - more than just commodities
Sharing on behalf of the team, contestant Tran Huynh Chau stated: “When participating in the competition, our goal was to promote products made from recycled nylon sheets more widely to the public and businesses, helping them gain a fresh perspective on recycled nylon products. These are not just ordinary products; they are our ‘spiritual children,’ representing our daily efforts and continuous research to create the most complete products for everyone to appreciate. I hope our project will be received positively and further expanded to help address current environmental pollution issues in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general. Moreover, we hope it will contribute to solving employment challenges for vulnerable workers in our country.”
Building on the foundation gained from academic and startup competitions at TDTU, the project is gradually being refined, with a vision toward expanding its scale and enhancing real-world applicability. The journey of turning nylon waste into a “green statement” not only demonstrates the creative capacity of students from the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, but also highlights the proactive role of Ton Duc Thang University students in addressing environmental challenges through innovative thinking and social responsibility.
