Fostering Sustainable Making Practices in a Student Makerspace

Unsustainable consumption and production practices in the workplace exacerbate the environmental crisis. Student makerspaces are one such workplace that encourages student innovation by offering a supportive environment for experimentation and learning, but also contributes to issues of overconsumption, disposal, and obsolescence. This research explores the question: how can student makerspaces support student makers in making more sustainable choices? We provide empirical insights into the sustainability of student makerspaces, identifying the factors that encourage students in, and the potential barriers that prevent them from, reducing physical waste throughout the making process. Our findings further offer potential strategies for encouraging sustainable behaviour among student makers in a makerspace environment.