Innovation to help recycle multi-layer plastic

Rajkot-based higher secondary school student, Hetal Vaishnav, has invented a new technology which can help in recyclying multi-layer plastic. The-first-of-its-kind technology in the world recently won the second prize in a competition organised by Intel.

The innovation illustrates a novel and cost-effective process of creating composite material using multilayer metallised plastic packaging such as chips and gutkha packets.

"Countries across the globe are dumping multi-layer plastic, which cannot be recycled and thus adds to the landfill. With this technology, multi layer plastic can be recycled by converting it into composite material by proper heat treatment. The whole process is environment friendly and not create harmful gas during the process. The composite material can be use for furniture and many other architectural materials. At present, the entire treatment has seven stages, and I am working at cutting it to three stages," Vaishnav said.

The innovation has applied for Indian as well as international patent. In order to commercialise this technology, the innovator is looking for good support from the government and industry.

According to Hetal's father Kanjibhai Vaishnav, the project did not get any kind of discount from the state or central government even for the lab test. "I have heard that scientists are encouraged to invent for the environment. But we did not get any discount even for the lab test," he said.

The packaging materials are made up of different multi-layers of different type of plastic. These polymers are not separable and hence cannot be recycled.

By reprocessing, the innovation has converted them into a reusable composite material, which has properties and applications resembling to that of plastic and wood.

Vaishnav, a class XI student, bagged the award in the environmental management category, and received three special awards including one from Patent and Trademark Office Society, the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award, and one from the AVASC foundation.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the world's largest pre-college science competition. ISEF annually provides a forum to around 1,500 exceptional high-school science students from more than 56 countries, selected from over 500 Intel ISEF-affiliated fairs held worldwide, to compete for $4 million in prize money & scholarships.

More than 1,000 experts from all fields of science and engineering are selected to judge the exhibits and interact with the students.