To Empower People Who are in Disadvantage Groups and Build Community Through a Handmade Jewelry-Making Workshop From Reclaimed Materials

Abstract

The author believes that every material in the world possesses its own beauty and uniqueness, and that human beings, as creators, can enhance the value of those materials through design. Even discarded materials retain intrinsic value. In the current global context, beverage consumption and the resulting waste generation remain at high levels. Global soft drink consumption exceeds 500 billion liters annually, making beverage packaging a significant component of municipal solid waste. Although only a portion is packaged in glass bottles, the cumulative number of metal crown caps constitutes a considerable source of metal waste. This situation highlights the need for design approaches that emphasize resource efficiency and creative reuse—particularly of crown caps, which feature distinctive patterns varying by beverage brand. This research therefore aims to transform used crown caps into jewelry with aesthetic and emotional value for both designers and wearers. The objectives are: (1) to add value to discarded crown caps by converting them into jewelry components; (2) to organize handmade jewelry workshops for individuals with physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory disabilities in order to enhance their capabilities and social participation; and (3) to develop the workshop model into a sustainable activity and can be a case study to adapt with other countries in the future. The study employs a Research and Development (R&D) methodology. Crown caps were collected from restaurants and experimentally reshaped through hammering and dapping metal techniques into bead-like elements, then combined into adjustable jewelry pieces. The developed process was implemented as a prototype workshop and evaluated in practice. The results demonstrate that used crown caps can be transformed into jewelry with renewed beauty and value. Participants were able to create their own pieces, fostering pride and social recognition. Some works were exhibited and sold through a foundation shop, with proceeds reinvested to support ongoing activities. The research underscores the power of design to upcycle waste materials while generating sustainable social, economic, and emotional value, and the developed process can be further adapted and applied in other contexts or internationally in the future.