Introduction

"Human Practices is the study of how your work affects the world, and how the world affects your work." Bearing in mind this statement by Peter Carr, Chair of the Jury, our Human Practices explicitly embraces the essence of its two-way interaction with the external world. We will document and demonstrate the team’s in-depth and creative thinking on whether the project delivers benefits and value to the world, while also focusing on the reverse impetus that external factors exert on the project. Meanwhile, we sincerely hope that our project can generate progressive positive impacts and contributions for individuals, groups, societies, and even the world throughout its development, and we look forward to giving every interested person the opportunity to become a "Guardian of the Earth"!

We chose this project because it offers a viable solution to a critical global issue, while also demonstrating the potential of synthetic biology to provide solutions to real-world problems. By participating in iGEM, we aim to contribute to the growing body of research in this field and provide more reference examples for subsequent teams. Additionally, we hope to inspire more organizations and teams to address environmental challenges through biotechnology, and attract more people to engage in research related to synthetic biology.

 HP Responsibility

In the activity design of HP , based on iGEM’s core orientation that "technology implementation must align with practical value", we have identified the social, ecological, and economic dimensions as the key influencing factors of iGEM. These dimensions serve as a critical component in analyzing the feasibility of our project and collectively form the "three-dimensional verification framework" for project feasibility. Only when the basic requirements of these three dimensions are met simultaneously can it be proven that the project is not only technically viable but also capable of achieving long-term value in the social-ecological system.

 Behavior Design Considerations

In exploring how our project can generate effective social impact, we visited the Hebei District Bureau of Ecology and Environment. Through discussions with Ms. Zhang Xiaomei, Chief Engineer, we learned that enhancing public environmental awareness is one of the core priorities of the government’s community environmental protection efforts during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

Given that plastic pollution is an emerging type of pollution, there is currently a lack of unified measurable standards for its monitoring. Most existing prevention and control measures focus on advocacy and supervision aimed at translating abstract data into concrete actions. In light of the exploratory nature and educational value of our project, we decided to identify "enhancing public awareness" as the key objective for our social impact. Through this objective, we can not only align with the government’s work priorities to secure more opportunities for promotion and implementation but also obtain valid data and feedback to better refine the direction of our project.

 Awareness Raising Design Dimensions

Referring to the content of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment released by the United Nations Environment Programme, and taking into account the conditions and resources of the regions where our team is located, we have designed awareness-raising activities from the following six dimensions:

• Stimulating the elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products
• Encouraging reuse models where relevant, to reduce the need for single-use plastic packaging and/or products
• Incentivising the use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging
• Increasing collection, sorting, and recycling rates, and facilitating the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and related funding mechanisms
• Stimulating the demand for recycled plastics

Supporting social and behavioral change through strategic communication to address plastic pollution

Model for Evaluating Activity Effects

In evaluating the effectiveness of the relevant activities we have carried out and obtaining better feedback to improve the design of subsequent activities,We have drawn on Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Evaluation Model, retaining the "Reaction" and "Learning" levels from its four dimensions (Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results).

At the Reaction level, we incorporated questionnaires (to collect feedback), individual interviews (for in-depth understanding), and communication, discussion, and reflection with co-organizers into our educational activity design.

Correspondingly, at the Learning level, we designed in-session and post-session Q&A tests with prize incentives to help participants consolidate their gains in knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Stakeholder

During discussions with Teachers Yao Ye and Zeng Zhao, we have initially identified the project's relevant stakeholders, which include: governments of coastal cities, environmental organizations focused on marine issues, scholars and academic institutions engaged in plastic recycling and marine conservation, enterprises involved in plastic production and recycling, practitioners in the agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery sectors, as well as residents of coastal communities.

Subsequently, based on the characteristics of the iGEM competition, as well as the conditions of the university and its local region, and integrating actionable aspects such as education and sustainable development, we refined the list of stakeholders.

Drawing inspiration from the Mendlow Matrix, we analyzed the stakeholders from two dimensions: their degree of influence on the project and their interest to the project. We also assessed the feasibility of engaging with and establishing connections with them, and outlined the key actions for their effective participation in areas including Integrated Human Practices, education, and sustainable development, alongside our reflections thereon.You can click on the sections in the matrix diagram to view detailed information.

HP Cycle

Meanwhile, in our close interactions with diverse stakeholders,we strictly adhere to a dynamic closed-loop cycle of "brainstorming-listening-documentation-improvement and sharing-reflection-brainstorming." The core value of this cycle lies in transforming the "external needs" of stakeholders into the "internal driving force for the project’s optimization," ensuring that each round of interaction effectively addresses practical issues with precision. Through continuous feedback collection, program revision, and detail refinement, we have refined the core content of the project, enhancing its social value and implementation potential.