It is estimated that ~51 and ~400 million tons of plastic waste is generated each year, in US and globally, respectively. US EPA estimates that less than 9% of plastic gets recycled in US; remaining fills up landfills or burned producing pollutants. Most of the plastic recycling today is mechanical or chemical recycling which is energy-intensive costly process, producing inferior quality of plastic. We have designed a solar powered “Plastivore Trashcan” with 5 compartments that can shred, oxidize, and degrade the plastic using our novel “plastic eating bacterial enzyme tablet” (PEBET). PEBET consists of extracted enzymes from the saliva and gut bacteria of different species of worms and fungi that can digest plastic. The plastivore trashcan byproduct is glycol which is reacted with sodium acetate and safely converted to safe end products and disposed without any hazards.
ExploraVison National Science Competition Winners
1st place
Upasana Verma, Mentor, Paul Pires, Toshiba, Sanjit Srinivasan, Aadhitiya Mani, Ariana Banerjee, Aashi Verma, Chelsea Clarke, Coach, John Waleski, Toshiba
PLASTIVORE TRASHCAN
2nd place
Jay McConnery, Coach, Aubrey Botting, Ellen Dong, Anjali Kathiravan
CyberSchool
Recognizing the lack of quality education in underdeveloped countries, we founded CyberSchool to address this global concern. With 21% of adults in the U.S. struggling with illiteracy, and higher rates in disadvantaged communities globally, we aim to provide equitable education as a fundamental human right. CyberSchool, a solar-powered device resembling a laptop, features an AI teacher using visual aids to assess and support students’ needs. It includes tools for independent learning and speakers for effective communication with illiterate audiences. Our mission is to empower individuals worldwide, reducing international poverty through improved access to quality education.