Would you believe that masterpieces like Mona Lisa can be recreated—using trash washed up from the beach? That’s exactly what happened in the 4th “Transforming Kaohsiung: Building Dreams” initiative, co-led by Reco Co., Ltd., the College of Management at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) under its USR Project “Co-Creating Local Sustainability 2.0,” the Cross-Strait Cooperation Promotion Association of Kaohsiung City, and Dfuns Technology Engineering Co., Ltd.

This year, the program provided NT$700,000 in funding to support five social innovation projects tackling topics such as marine education, long-term care, single-parent support, and sustainable development. Among them, Designing a Sustainable Future – Marine Waste Upcycling I & II, proposed by Ms. Chiao-Chen Lin, stood out and received NT$200,000 from Reco Co., Ltd. for its exceptional potential.

Ms. Lin, a long-time advocate of sustainable design, aims to give new life to waste through creativity. Observing the growing issue of marine debris in Kaohsiung and believing that change begins with education, she led a two-stage project. The first stage focused on marine education through crafting ocean-themed keychains with children. The second emphasized local connection and aesthetic education—guiding students to recreate famous artworks using plastic waste collected from Qijin Beach, fostering awareness of ocean conservation.

The project included one beach cleanup at Qijin, 22 hands-on workshops, and a final exhibition. In total, 17 elementary schools participated—including Si-Jia, Zhongxiao, Rueifong, Zhenchang, and Ruei-Shing Elementary Schools—reaching over 12,000 participants.

Si-Jia Elementary School joined both project stages. Principal Shao-Chang Hsia remarked, “Being close to the ocean, our school integrates marine education into the curriculum, though mostly through textbooks and videos. This project offered students real-life experience with ocean issues, which was very enriching.” Student Huang added, “We rarely get to do crafts, so I really enjoyed this project.”

NSYSU students also participated in the beach cleanup and workshops. Yu-Chen Tai, a junior in Business Management, reflected: “Unlike typical cleanups, we used sieves to filter out microplastics, making it clear how pervasive these particles are in the ocean and their environmental impact.” Hsiang-Chi Tseng, a Public Affairs master’s student, was moved by the power of art: “Transforming microplastics into teaching tools that students sort and assemble into masterpieces made me reflect—perhaps the difference between trash and art lies only in how we choose to see it.”

In the second stage, five elementary schools collaborated to recreate five world-famous paintings. The final exhibition ran from April 10–24 at Reco Co., Ltd., allowing employees to witness their company's social contributions firsthand. Reco Chairman Tsai-Hsing Cheng attended the opening and praised the creativity: “Marine pollution has long been a focus of ours. This project creatively transformed plastic into famous paintings—reminding us in a new way how important it is to protect our oceans together.”

Professor Jui-Kun Kuo from NSYSU’s Institute of Public Affairs reflected, “As an island nation, Taiwan ironically lacks marine engagement. Artistic transformation and creative design are valid waste-reduction tools, but limited in scope. Hopefully, this project inspires deeper thought among businesses and society about how commercial strategies can help reduce waste.” He concluded by expressing gratitude to Reco for its continued support of meaningful USR x CSR initiatives and encouraged more companies and organizations to join efforts in building a better society.

The 5th Call for Proposals for the “Transforming Kaohsiung: Building Dreams” initiative is now open! Aspiring individuals, communities, local agencies, and NGOs/NPOs are warmly invited to submit proposals. Let’s build dreams together and create a better Kaohsiung!

👉 Interested in submitting a proposal? Join the online info session here:
https://forms.gle/KQZPndgiAUAra4HfA

—Submitted by the NSYSU College of Management USR Team / Edited by the College Media Team