College students team up to transform common waste into unique household item — here's what they did
The students of the Department of Biotechnology of the Federal Urdu University made sure the paper was pollution-free to reduce the drastic impacts that paper production can have on the changing climate.
Students explained that "paper is very little produced in Pakistan," where the university is based, and it mainly relies on imports. Deforestation is also abundant in paper production. As such, the paper materials made by the students are cheap and will protect the environment.
Realizing that agricultural waste within the country is usually burned, adding to environmental pollution, students created a sustainable alternative solution using agrarian waste, like crop residues, plant fibers, and leaves.
"First, the waste is collected, cleaned and sorted, then shredding and pulping are done. The sheet is formed after washing and bleaching," the Express Tribune wrote about the process.
The bio-sheet, as it's been referred to, will "save water as well as significantly reduce deforestation," as the Express Tribune reported. Saving water is essential to paper production.
In some nations, an "incredible 10%" of all freshwater is used to make paper — the water is used to grow trees, make pulp, and bleach paper, as Paper On The Rocks explained.
The reduction of freshwater usage combined with the reduction in paper imports, deforestation, and agricultural waste, bio-paper is bound to make a significant mitigation in the environmental impacts of paper making.
Environmental pollution is induced by imports of paper by countries such as Pakistan that are unable to produce a sufficient supply on their own. By sourcing production within the country, pollution is slashed. Equally, it makes the paper less expensive.
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Each year, about 2.1 billion tons of agricultural waste is produced. In redirecting this waste toward reusable paper products, the students are further benefitting the environment.
The world produces 100 million tons of paper waste per year. As biopaper becomes more popular, the student's invention will likely have a large impact on the environment worldwide.
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