Converting plastic into bricks

How to solve the plastic problem? This is the ongoing discussion everywhere.
Converting plastic into bricks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: How to solve the plastic problem? This is the ongoing discussion everywhere. While the authorities are pulling their hair out to find a lasting solution, a group of youngsters have come up with an idea: turn plastic into paving stones!


“Plastic is an essential evil. One can’t do without it. But one needs to find ways to handle it so that it doesn’t pollute nature,” says Kevin Jacob, a graduate of the Govt. Model Engineering College, Kochi. “Banning or burning it are not a solution. So, my friends and I did  research and came up with the paving-brick idea.” 


The method is like this: they collect the plastic waste, and shred them. The shredded material is melted and, during this process, chemical additives are added. 


“However, this melting is done inside a compressor, and the resulting oily vapours are collected in a vat. This can be used to run the compressor,” says Kevin. 


Meanwhile, the molten plastic is then poured into moulds, and allowed to cool. The end-product is then tested for its strength, durability and porosity. “I would like to reveal more, but at this moment our process is in consideration for a patent,” says Kevin.


Pointing out that this is a viable method, Kevin says, “With a strong collection network and the involvement of Kudumbasree units, this project can  be implemented in every district. However, it will be difficult for us to organise such a massive collection system. So we will focus on making the machines needed to manufacture the brick.” 


The local bodies can then utilise them to make the bricks and use them to pave the roads. “In this way we have found a lasting solution to our plastic waste management woes,” says the young engineer-cum-budding entrepreneur.


The team has also worked on other innovative projects. One of them is the electric fan regulator. 
Kevin said that nearly every person gets up in the middle of the night, to adjust the speed of the fan, and this hinders their sleep pattern. So the team decided to come up with a smart regulator which would adjust the speed of a fan according to the change in room temperature. 


“Our smart regulator, which we have patented, comes at a lower cost than those available in the market,” says Kevin, who has been accepted for a programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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