Plastic pollution is a global issue that has arisen within the last century, that is devastating Earth and its environment. The United States produces about 33 million tons of plastic every year, with less than 10% being recycled (Imam, 2016). In an era when plastic has become a part of our lives, it becomes inevitable to come up with an innovative idea to fix the problems of plastic pollution. In response to this issue, a group of 10th graders at Arizona College Prep-Erie, has come up with the idea to test the problem of plastic and styrofoam pollution in their own cafeteria. The idea is to create awareness about styrofoam trays used in the school cafeteria, and minimize individual ecological footprints by recycling them. The proposed project aims to collect these styrofoam plates from the school cafeteria, then compress it using a hydraulic press, and use Tenebrio beetles and their larvae, along with d-limonene to decompose them in a controlled environment.
Tenebrio beetles and their larvae have an innate capacity to eat plastic and styrofoam (Imam, 2016)as they have microorganisms in their gut that enables them to digest polyethylene, a common component of plastic, and change it to carbon dioxide, biomass and biodegradable wastes. These biodegradable wastes can be used in the school garden as a fertilizer for plants. This is a self-sustaining project as the beetles don’t need anything besides a warm environment and moisture to survive, and they feed on styrofoam and plastics that will be in abundance in the school.
Hence, the group proposes to be able to implement this project at school to introduce sustainability at their own school and work towards making the school a zero-waste school. This will not only increase students involvement but also create awareness.
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Plastic pollution is a global issue that has arisen within the last century, that is devastating Earth and its environment. The United States produces about 33 million tons of plastic every year, with less than 10% being recycled (Imam, 2016). In an era when plastic has become a part of our lives, it becomes inevitable to come up with an innovative idea to fix the problems of plastic pollution. In response to this issue, a group of 10th graders at Arizona College Prep-Erie, has come up with the idea to test the problem of plastic and styrofoam pollution in their own cafeteria. The idea is to create awareness about styrofoam trays used in the school cafeteria, and minimize individual ecological footprints by recycling them. The proposed project aims to collect these styrofoam plates from the school cafeteria, then compress it using a hydraulic press, and use Tenebrio beetles and their larvae, along with d-limonene to decompose them in a controlled environment.
Tenebrio beetles and their larvae have an innate capacity to eat plastic and styrofoam (Imam, 2016)as they have microorganisms in their gut that enables them to digest polyethylene, a common component of plastic, and change it to carbon dioxide, biomass and biodegradable wastes. These biodegradable wastes can be used in the school garden as a fertilizer for plants. This is a self-sustaining project as the beetles don’t need anything besides a warm environment and moisture to survive, and they feed on styrofoam and plastics that will be in abundance in the school.
Hence, the group proposes to be able to implement this project at school to introduce sustainability at their own school and work towards making the school a zero-waste school. This will not only increase students involvement but also create awareness.
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