PLASTIC UPCYCLING IS THE TREND NOW : YB JANIE LASIMBANG

 

 

 The HDPE turbine wheel that can power a 3kW AC generator

 

 

For the Albums

Adrian and Janie holding recycle products while seminar participants hold their certificate

Sunday February 21, 2021

PENAMPANG.  To overcome or reduce plastic pollution, upcyling is the trend now compared to just recycling, said Kapayan Assemblywoman Janie Lasimbang during a morning seminar "Plastic Tinkers Introduction" for 24 youths here, weekend.

While recycling is just reusing the same material for the same purpose, upcyling means producing a new product with added value from the same plastic waste as there is money in plastic instead of being dumped in landfills or polluting the environment, she explained.

Even though the seminar was brief involving a small number to comply with current SOP, the three objectives were met namely:

* to get the youths interested and mobilise them in collections of high grade plastic that can be upcylced,

* train them as leaders in own community leading to youth empowerment bringing home new knowledges

* some may come back as entrepreneur themselves with new ideas of commercial products.

Janie also sponsored the basic equipments that can shred plastic from which it can be heated, extruded or pressed to produce new products such as wires, flower pots and plastic wood.

Speakers who are involved with the Centre of Renewable and Appropriated Technology (CREATE) gave short talks on backgrounds of plastics and how they pollute the environment, identifying only 7 out of 600 types that can be recycled. The best grade known to date is HDPE or high density polyethylene which is the choice for upcycling.

Janie's younger brother Adrian who is well know for tinkering and inventing new products demonstrated his new pelton turbine wheels made from recycled HDPE bottles. The 14 inch diameter wheel can power a 3kW generator for micro-hydro system suitable for small remote villages on the hills. "HDPE Turbines made in Penampang" Adrian quipped.

Responding later to queries from the public, Adrian informed they are still in Research and Development phase, however when they reach commercial phase, he will setup mobile collection system for the recycleable plastics. For the time being he welcomes only plastic HDPE bottles for discovering techniques at his research cum workshops at Kg Nampasan here.

 

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