PLASTIC WASTE DISPOSAL PLANT- A UNIQUE CONCEPT TO CURTAIL PLASTIC EFFECT

It was during one of the morning assemblies of our school [Rhenock Senior Secondary School] I realized two students from Class XII science [Mr. Aditya Prasad and Mr. Sagar Pradhan] being felicitated with wild roars and cheers by the students. As the principal stepped to proclaim the landmark achievements of these two students and later when Aditya Prasad shared his experiences, I came to understand that out of 130 schools participating in the science project seminar in Sikkim, only four had managed to get selected for the national level science project seminar, one being Govt. Sr. Sec. School, Rhenock. A flash of pride ran across the face of every teachers present in the assembly. After few days when I came across the news of our school being selected as one of the fourth school to enter into the national seminar being held at Delhi, my joys left no boundaries.

My curiosity to know more about the specialty of the science project made me ponder that the science project was about PLASTIC WASTE DISPOSAL PLANT. Plastic, being one of the most pollutant and non- degradable commodity has become a biggest threat to the mankind to confront with. However, the innovative minds of these students have designed a plant which would not only help curtail the disastrous effect of plastic waste but use its residue for a productive purpose.

PLASTIC WASTE DISPOSAL PLANT: The plant would consist of a large heating chamber to store huge plastic waste. This chamber would be heated under certain temperature which could melt the plastic. As the plastics melts, the gas emitted in the form of hydrocarbon would be channelized through a pipe. The Pipe would pass through a condenser of 0^O to -5 ^O Celsius, condensing the gas into lubricants which would be further collected into a special container.

 PRODUCTIVE USE OF THE RESIDUE: The residual of plastic inside the heating chamber after heating can be mixed with bitumen, the end product can be used for construction of roads. The lubricant formed by condensing the hydrocarbon gas would yet have many useful purposes.

CONSTRAINTS: Though the design of plastic waste plant has been highly appreciated by the judges, it also has lots of hurdles to confront with. To prototype a heating chamber that would melt the plastic waste at certain temperature would need some strong brainstorming. The amount of bitumen to be mixed with the residue or should it be mixed with other chemical to obtain a strong tar, are some of the questions which require an answer to.

There can emerge numerous problems and questions on its feasibility on the process of its making. However, this designed model of plastic waste disposal would create a landmark in the history of inventions. The design would not only epitomize the potential minds of two science students but more importantly it has the capacity to mitigate the hazardous effect of plastic toxicity and thus save our planet from further pollution.