Being young and wanting to change the world, to make it a better place: this is the spirit that prompted a seventeen-year-old Brazilian girl, Sayuri Magnabosco, to develop a biodegradable alternative to polystyrene packaging, which is widespread on the shelves of supermarkets all over the world but which are also among the main causes of ocean pollution and the mortality of marine fauna.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Being young and wanting to change the world, to make it a better place: this is the spirit that pushed a seventeen-year-old Brazilian girl, Sayuri Magnabosco, to develop a biodegradable alternative to polystyrene packaging, which are widespread on the shelves of supermarkets all over the world but which are also among the main causes of ocean pollution and mortality of marine fauna.
Although it is among the most used materials in the production of trays with which foods such as meat, fruit and vegetables are packaged, polystyrene or polystyrene is highly polluting, as it does not degrade, contaminating the environment for a very long period, which it can range from 100 to 300 years.
After reflecting on the problem, Sayuri Magnabosco, a very young student from Curitiba, had the brilliant idea of replace packaging made of this material with bagasse-based trays, a residue from the processing of sugar cane, consisting of the fibrous part and the bark of the cane.
In the space of just a year, thanks to the support of her mother and her teachers, Sayuri was able to demonstrate that her idea could actually be realized and, using precisely the bagassa, got some biodegradable trays, completely similar to those in polystyrene but, unlike them, non-toxic and eco-sustainable. Once thrown away, in fact, Sayuri's trays degrade within a few weeks and, being edible, they do not harm the animals that ingest them.
The first trays were made at home, in an amateur but ingenious way, separating the bagasse from the barrel with a common juice extractor, then mixing it with wheat flour and water and finally giving the pasta the desired shape. The pieces were left to dry in the oven until the right consistency was reached.
Now Sayuri's goal is to make his project replicable on a larger scale, trying to lay the foundations for the industrial production of bagasse packaging. Meanwhile, the girl is also working on making a solar oven, so that the production process of the trays becomes even more sustainable.
In the last two years, her idea has been around the world, turning the spotlight on her and leading her to conquer even some prestigious awards: in 2014 he won the first prize at the III edition of the Fair for Innovation in Science and Engineering (FIciencias), a Latin American contest, while in 2015 it was among the finalists of the so-called Genius Olympics, which are held in New York.
Recognitions that reward not only creativity and ingenuity, but also the tenacity with which Sayuri has carried out his idea, until it becomes reality.
Lisa Vagnozzi
Photo Credits
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