New materials developed from waste have attracted a lot of attention from designers. Those novel recycled materials encourage the cross-integration of fresh product experience creation and material exploration. At the same time, the progressive development of digital libraries and repositories containing a range of innovative and predictive materials is a topic of increasing interest. However, based on the investigation of the existing digital material database, the included material information is usually presented in the form of structured data for designers to view, and the lack of interaction with the current project material selection activities makes it difficult for designers to actively pay attention to or browse the relevant material library when facing actual projects. In this context, the project attempts to build an interactive material database with recycled materials as the core, aiming to present the potential of recycled materials; at the same time, it provides designers with an interactive exploration environment for design exploration activities related to material selection. Build a bridge with recycled material resources, and inspire designers to explore solutions related to recycled materials based on the project at hand.

The exploration process includes:
1. Case studies of more than 60 products made of recycled materials, which helps to lay a knowledge foundation for the establishment of the final database
2. Review the literature on material selection methods and resources in the design field, and analyze the process of material exploration in CMF design practice

Finally, an interactive recycled material database (RMD) prototype is proposed here, which contains three interrelated functional parts: material knowledge retrieval system, material exploration module and download center. One of the highlights of the database is that a design tool is built into the material exploration module, which is connected with the material knowledge module to assist designers in creating visual elements such as material mood boards for current projects, and at the same time gaining inspiration for the application of recycled materials. The goal here is to increase the participation of traditional database design practices and promote designers to actively explore recycled materials in their design projects.