students in business, engineering, environmental science, and other fields.
By encouraging students to develop innovative and implementable strategies for recovering and repurposing materials within a circular economy framework, the SDC builds skills in design thinking, environmental assessment, business planning, and communication.
About the Competition
Who Can Participate?
- Teams of 4 UVM undergraduate students
- Must include students from at least 3 different UVM colleges/schools (e.g., Grossman, Rubenstein, CEMS, CALS, CAS, etc.)
- Individual sign-ups welcome; organizers will help place you on a team
- All majors welcome; no prior experience needed
Why Participate?
- Gain experience in design thinking, environmental assessment, and business planning
- Work with peers across disciplines and receive mentorship
- Present your solution to industry and university leaders
- Compete for cash prizes!
Competition Themes
2026: Mattresses
Mattresses are bulky, complex, and highly variable products composed of multiple materials. These characteristics can make discarded mattresses difficult and expensive to collect, transport, dismantle, process, and put to beneficial use. Although many mattress components have the potential to be recovered, recycling efforts are often constrained by processing requirements, inconsistent material quality, limited end markets, transportation costs, and other economic and logistical barriers. Register for the 2026 SDC hereView the 2026 Student Design Competition Manual
2025: Glass
Glass is infinitely recyclable theoretically, yet millions of tons still end up in landfills each year. Current recycling systems face challenges such as contamination, high transportation costs, and limited end markets. Expanding the range of high value uses for repurposed glass can strengthen recycling infrastructure, reduce waste, and advance a more circular economy.
2025 Student Design Competition First Place Champions: CatGlass
- Julia Ng-Heth, Sustainability, Ecology, and Policy
- Pierce Cattier, Business Administration
- Jonah Ballard, Computer Science
- Liam Muskin, Environmental Sciences
CatGlass would create reuse systems for glass bottles on campus using existing sustainability funding and supporting local businesses.