A group of four Grade 6 learners from Beaulieu Preparatory School recently made a breakthrough in their planet-saving project.
As previously published in the Midrand Reporter, Children find ways to save the planet [Week ending 14 May], Grade 6 learners at both Beaulieu and Kyalami Preparatory Schools’ were tasked to come up with ideas and models which could help save marine life and the planet as part of a project-based learning programme.
Four learners, from Beaulieu Preparatory School – Suttara Govender, Kealeboga Lesha, Eva De Freitas and Arav Singh – came up with a wonderful idea to make a biodegradable plastic sweet wrap with the help of Beaulieu Preparatory alumni Ilaena Napier.
Eva explained that the plastic was edible and could be used to cover sweets and all other things replacing plastic wraps.
The learners said creating the plastic took four days. Suttara said, “We researched for about two weeks and Napier helped us a lot and we got all the ingredients together, then we made it and it worked out well. Right now we are seeing how long it will decompose in soil,” she added.
Kealeboga said during their first attempt, they used the wrong glycerine and had to get a different type, “However the whole project went pretty well, that was the only challenge we faced.”
Arav explained that they contacted Napier after they found out that she had a similar project to what they were doing. “Our teacher helped us to contact her and she helped us from there. We thought it would be easier to have someone who is experienced in the field.”
Napier, who is based in Paris where she did her masters in advanced architecture, is busy with her master thesis in bioplastics, looking at additives and the manufacturing of seaweed as a bioplastic. She said she felt honoured to help learners from her old school. She is assisting them with questions they have about bioplastics, how they could get the material needed and a bit more information on the specific material.
