The Sustainable Plastic Design Challenge is an approximately two week inquiry- and project-based learning unit. It is designed to address the ETS standards for a seventh grade integrated science class but it could easily be modified for use in other courses. The Sustainable Plastic Design Challenge draws heavily upon my research experience in the Gordon Lab creating materials with unique surface properties. This unit begins with students exploring the prevalence of plastic waste in their community. Next, students discover the variety of plastics and their effects. Students then apply their knowledge of matter's properties in a lab creating various bioplastics. This leads into the key activity of the unit: students utilizing the engineering design process to create their own sustainable alternative material for plastic. Students present their creations to their class and can monitor their decomposition over time.