Turn coffee grounds, sugarcane bagasse into... plant pots, chess sets

Materials that seem to no longer have any use value or have low economic value such as bagasse, sweet potatoes. can become bioplastics.

The project "BIOPLASTIC - Producing bioplastic items from sweet potatoes, sugarcane bagasse, coffee grounds" by a group of students at Tran Van Giau High School (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) won first prize in the competition " Students with startup ideas" in 2023 at the city level. The project was also selected to participate in this competition at the national level.

Replace traditional plastic

MSc Le Van Nam - teacher of Tran Van Giau High School, who guides the implementation of the project - said the project is built based on the idea of ​​developing bioplastics to replace traditional plastics from scrap sources. The research team chose sweet potato, sugarcane bagasse and coffee grounds to create bioplastic with characteristics of hardness, lightness, durability, environmental friendliness and safety for users.

Talking about the project, Vu Thi Hong Minh, a member of the Net - Zero research group , said that the above products have been tested for chemical indicators such as metal and plastic exposure index. The project has taken advantage of materials that no longer have economic value or are of low value, which are often burned or dumped, causing environmental pollution.

According to the project implementation team, other bioplastic products on the market are flexible so they are mainly used as plastic bags or food wrap. However, the bioplastic launched by the Net - Zero group is superior in hardness, lightness and durability, and can make many other useful products. Furthermore, this type of bioplastic has the ability to decompose in the environment without causing pollution or negative effects.

Experimental group of project 'BIOPLASTIC - Production of bioplastic items from sweet potatoes, sugarcane bagasse, coffee grounds' in the laboratory.

A representative of the project implementation team said that while traditional plastic takes hundreds to thousands of years to decompose, existing bioplastics only need 1 year. Net - Zero's bioplastic alone takes 3 - 5 years to completely decompose, so the product can be used longer while still ensuring a fairly quick decomposition time.

Many practical values

Mr. Le Van Nam said that the project aims to sell main products such as chess sets, Chinese chess sets, handmade table plant pots, scented candle molds. made of bioplastic. These products are not only convenient, useful, and aesthetically pleasing, but are also considered an effective alternative to traditional plastic products that are very difficult to decompose.

Presenting the project, the research team confidently affirmed that the products bring high economic value, can be widely applied, create a potential green product market and also create more job opportunities for people. people.

Students play chess from bioplastic products of the Net - Zero group.

Kieu Ngoc Han, a group member, said the project was developed at the Environmental Technology Laboratory - Ho Chi Minh City National University and Van Lang University (HCMC) with support from experts. The product is in the testing phase but has been well received by many customers because of its many outstanding advantages and reasonable price.

The research team shares that the goal is not only to develop bioplastic products to replace traditional plastic but also to contribute to forming a "zero waste" lifestyle , accompanying environmental protection programs. school.

According to the jury of the 2023 contest "Students with start-up ideas" organized by the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, this is a project with practical significance for the Vietnamese environment in particular and the world. world in general, helping to increase the value of agricultural products. At the same time, the project positively impacts human awareness on environmental protection issues; promote sustainable development and create a healthy living environment for future generations.

The group of students from Tran Van Giau High School (HCMC) participating in the project includes: Vu Thi Hong Minh, Nguyen Thi Hoai Ni, Kieu Ngoc Han, Nguyen Hoang Linh Dan and Ho Quoc Thuy An.

Spread the entrepreneurial spirit of students

The contest "Students with startup ideas" is organized annually by the Ministry of Education and Training to create an experiential environment; Nurture students' viable ideas; Nurture the entrepreneurial spirit for children while they are still in school; diversify capital sources to support potential projects.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the competition was launched in October 2023, attracting 152 projects with many interesting creative ideas in many field groups.

Associate Professor-Dr. Nguyen Huu Huy Nhut - Vice Rector of Hong Bang International University (HCMC), Deputy Jury of the city-level competition - assessed that the participating projects all have depth of ideas, demonstrating the ability The ability to grasp needs from life, therefore highly practical. This is a positive sign of the entrepreneurial spirit spreading widely among students throughout Ho Chi Minh City.