Eco Erie - Thesis Project
AboutMy thesis project, Eco Erie, is a business that calls for environmental reform and brings awareness to the plastic pollution in Lake Erie and the Cleveland community I grew up in. Incentivizing the public with sustainable rewards, it calls upon people to clean up the Greater Cleveland Area of plastic waste and donate it to my company. I wanted to find an actual function for these plastics, using my project to spread awareness about the concept and building capability of eco bricks. Eco Erie would convert the donated plastic waste into eco bricks and build sustainable structures with them, benefiting the environment by giving plastic waste a purpose before it is able to break down into microplastics. This ten-month project entailed making the business, branding it, creating its website, and doing multiple exhibitions and presentations on its impact.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR, AFTER EFFECTS, WORDPRESS, INDESIGN, PHOTOSHOP, AFFINITY DESIGNER
Each year, 22 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes. Plastic waste in Lake Erie pollutes the drinking water of 11 million people. Lake Erie has more microplastics than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. There is a huge issue of plastic pollution in Lake Erie, and it is the people’s job to help!
THE ISSUE
Eco Erie is a business that addresses the issue of plastic pollution in the Greater Cleveland Area. It relies on public donations of plastics collected from the environment. The goal is to have people collect plastic waste before it has a chance to break down into microplastics and pollute our ecosystem.
THE SOLUTION
With the collected plastic, Eco Erie makes eco bricks to give plastic waste an alternative end-of-life. Eco bricks are a sustainable building material made by putting plastic into plastic bottles. By adheving them together, them have the capabilies to build any type of structure, even houses!
THE BYPRODUCT
Since Eco Erie relies on the public to operate, they give incentives back to the public! Every gram of plastic waste donated gives points back to people. Points can be exchanged for rewards, such as zero-waste products or Eco Erie merchandise!
THE INCENTIVIZATION
Branding
LOGO
STYLE GUIDE
BUSINESS CARDS
Printed on handmade recycled paper, 500 hand cut and distributed for Thesis Exhibition
Website
WEBSITE EXHIBITION VIDEO
Our exhibition gallery does not have access to the internet, meaning Web Design students have to make videos highlighting the features of our website instead.
Merchandise
The merch items were each specifically chosen to fit within Eco Erie’s business model. Many are alternatives to wasteful products. Since this business would be based in Cleveland, I also designed collaboration merch with the local sports teams to incorporate Cleveland culture.
Compostable Toothbrush
Cleveland Cavaliers Collab Jersey
Colorblock Sweatshirt
Cotton Footie Socks
Cleveland Guardians Collab T-Shirt
Embroidered Towel
Since my business model is driven off of incentivizing the public, I designed merchandise that people could exchange for rewards. Four of the created merch was printed, displayed at the exhibition, and available to purchase by anyone interested.
Printed Merch
Cleveland Browns Collab Sweatshirt - 2 sold
Cotton Sleep Mask
Handmade Candle
Metal Water Bottle - 4 sold
Embroidered Hat - 4 sold
Patterned Tote Bag - 12 sold
Everything is made to order to eliminate waste.
Exhibition
PFW Thesis Exhibition
TRIFOLD PAMPHLET - Printed Collateral
Handout pamphlet discussing the steps of how to make an eco brick.
TABLETOP STAND BANNER - Business Model
HORIZONTAL HANGING BANNER
PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL MOCKUP
PROMOTIONAL POSTER - Library Made
FINAL EXHIBITION STATION
We were limited to be smaller than 6 feet in width. I personally made two tables from electric wire wheels, eco bricks, and grout to display the building capabilities of eco bricks. These took an estimated 12 hours each.