The University of Tasmania’s Circular Creativity Student Workshops is a youth-led project demonstrating how students can inspire community hope and practical sustainability action with limited resources. The project promoted upcycling and encouraged participants to see potential in everyday waste items, while also responding to student cost-of-living pressures by creating opportunities for connection, creativity, saving money and reducing waste.

Seven student leaders from the Student Living University Gardening Society, across Hobart and Sandy Bay, and Togatus student magazine collaborated to design and deliver the project. Supported by a Youth Climate Action Fund microgrant, they co-designed and ran three participatory workshops across two campuses, engaging 35 participants, 80% of whom were young people.

Through the workshops, students upcycled waste materials into 12 food garden beds, created origami seed packets from old magazines, and generated online engagement. The project demonstrates a low-cost, replicable model for community-centred circular economy action that builds skills, confidence, social connection and sustainability leadership.