I believe that the natural resources are as much to adore as they are to consume. Hence, a sustainable strategy to utilize these resources using appropriate technology is a must.
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Watch my entry in the Circular Design Challenge
https://challenges.openideo.com/challenge/circular-design/refinement/true-polymer-plastic-material-for-packaging-made-from-natural-plant-materials
https://challenges.openideo.com/challenge/circular-design/refinement/true-polymer-plastic-material-for-packaging-made-from-natural-plant-materials
This was a challenge organized by Ellen McArthur foundation, where participants from all over the world showcased their ideas through an online portal, to reduce the nuance of plastic waste.
Circular economy is an attainable 'utopia' where new things are made from used stuff, eliminating the concept of 'waste'.
Waste plastic pyrolysis
There are 7 types of plastics, 3 of which do not get recycled in developed nations. Most of the other 4 go to the developing countries where they are recycled in an environmentally harmful way.
In current research, conversion of the waste plastics is studied with an emphasis on making it clean and non-toxic to human and environmental health.
In current research, conversion of the waste plastics is studied with an emphasis on making it clean and non-toxic to human and environmental health.
The 'garbage scenario'
Waste piles up even in places where it shouldn't be so. The villages of Palghar district, Maharashtra are witnessing rapid rise in the population. Here, the garbage accumulates in village streets, marketplaces, backyards etc. This garbage, containing a large amount of plastics, is burnt in absence of any alternative method for waste disposal. This releases enormous amounts of dioxins in the air, causing harmful effects on human health. Dioxins are known human carcinogens (WHO, 1997)*. This waste needs to be diverted and should be utilized for something that the villagers desperately need- energy. Energy in the form of heat, fuel or electricity can be of great importance to places where the grid-based power is not reliable. Eliminating the harmful emissions from pyrolysis process can make a way for 'leverage' of this technology for wide-scale waste mitigation.
*WHO, Health criteria for polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and
dibenzofurans, IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety,
World Health Organisation, Geneva, 1997.
Waste piles up even in places where it shouldn't be so. The villages of Palghar district, Maharashtra are witnessing rapid rise in the population. Here, the garbage accumulates in village streets, marketplaces, backyards etc. This garbage, containing a large amount of plastics, is burnt in absence of any alternative method for waste disposal. This releases enormous amounts of dioxins in the air, causing harmful effects on human health. Dioxins are known human carcinogens (WHO, 1997)*. This waste needs to be diverted and should be utilized for something that the villagers desperately need- energy. Energy in the form of heat, fuel or electricity can be of great importance to places where the grid-based power is not reliable. Eliminating the harmful emissions from pyrolysis process can make a way for 'leverage' of this technology for wide-scale waste mitigation.
*WHO, Health criteria for polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and
dibenzofurans, IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety,
World Health Organisation, Geneva, 1997.
Re-usable to-go containers pilot program to reduce the high volume of waste from single-use to-go foodcontainers. This was implemented at 'Tiger Dining facility' at Auburn University campus, USA. The project wassponsored by Sambazon (https://www.sambazon.com).
"Introducing delivery of a portion of shampoo in a reusable box"
"A solution to the plastic waste from the sachet economies in developing nations"
This was the semi-finalist entry for the Circular Design Challenge. Link: https://challenges.openideo.com/challenge/circular-design/refinement/true-polymer-plastic-material-for-packaging-made-from-natural-plant-materials#!
"A solution to the plastic waste from the sachet economies in developing nations"
This was the semi-finalist entry for the Circular Design Challenge. Link: https://challenges.openideo.com/challenge/circular-design/refinement/true-polymer-plastic-material-for-packaging-made-from-natural-plant-materials#!
Reaching out to the communities
It is important to recognize the individuals involved in keeping the environmental problems of rapidly growing city in check. We visited the wastepicker's cooperative keeping the city of Pune in India clean. The detailed article can be read here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/waste-pickers-cooperative-grassroot-level-vivek-patil/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/waste-pickers-cooperative-grassroot-level-vivek-patil/
With the registered waste collectors and recyclers from a cooperative of former wastepickers from Pune city. This was during a visit facilitated by SWaCH at Adarsh nagar slums in the Pune city in December 2017.
A vigilance drive to prevent 'trashing' of 'shankar tekdi (hill)' with plastic wrappers at Thane, India . This was during the 'Mahashivratri festival' that witnesses thousands of devotees coming to this holy place in the month of March, in2016.
A technical analysis of converting municipal solid waste into methanol, a raw material for many useful commodity products
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