Paige Balcom was visiting Uganda as a Fulbright Scholar when she became fascinated by the challenges of life in Gulu. When economic forces there conspired to trap millions of plastic bottles in the nation’s ecosystem without any local options for recycling,
Paige, then a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, decided to dedicate her research to developing a small-scale, community recycling process, a feat that nearly everyone, except her Ugandan co-founder Peter, said would be physically impossible. By employing street-connected, at-risk youth, Paige and her Takataka Plastics recycling team, are now turning waste into construction materials and providing a path for local youth to remain employed while working toward sustainability.
Inspired by Paige Balcom, who turns plastic waste into useful materials, let's explore how we can transform trash into treasure. What are some things you throw away that could be reused?
- Observe:Think about items you throw away that are made of plastic. Could these items be used for something else before being thrown away? What other materials besides plastic can be recycled or reused?
- Brainstorm: List at least three different ways you could reuse or recycle plastic waste. Choose one idea that you find most creative.
- Design:Design a new product or invention made from recycled plastic. Think about:
- What problem does your product solve?
- How does it work?
- What kind of plastic would you use?
- Who would benefit from your invention?
- Create:Try to build a prototype of your invention using recycled materials. Explain how your invention turns ""waste to treasure"". Upload a picture of your prototype.