In the beginning of this year, while watching TV, I heard the story of an amazing teenager that was working to solve a huge environmental problem in her community. Sayuri Magnabosco is an example to be followed, and I am really proud to share with you a brief talk that I had with her last week!

1) I heard on National Television that you idea has the power to impact so many lives. Can you briefly explain your idea and its impacts to society?

"During high school, I started the development of a project that would result in a great adventure of my life. I engineered a biodegradable package, made out of sugarcane bagasse, with an antimicrobial function, to replace non-eco-friendly Styrofoam trays. The possibility of solving environmental, my community?s, public health?s and waste management?s problems stirred something inside me and fueled me through these causes .

My sustainable packages are capable of trimming the cases of food poisoning, attenuating the overcrowd of the Brazilian?s and world?s landfills, reducing the adoption of Styrofoam, and using the bagasse derived from the sugarcane industry, which is currently thrown away in Brazil. Besides that, the application of my project at an industrial scale can boost the family?s income of sugarcane farmers, which is very low today.Such connection between chemistry, biology and environmental science can transform countless lives!

My project, also creates a new field for green consumerism. It is environmentally friendly and transforms the use of packages into a cyclic consumerism, that is, the raw material comes from the earth, and comes back to the earth, being absorbed. With these results I found myself as a social entrepreneur that uses science as a tool to foster social changes!"

3) Do you believe that your idea is going to be embraced by the recycling companies? 

"I believe that they could be affected somehow by the replacement of Styrofoam trays for Sugar cane trays.

Well? I cannot affirm to you that the recycling companies will embrace my idea for sure, but we are going towards it. Now that New York and San Francisco abolished the use of Styrofoam, the companies need a new alternative to pack foods and drinks, so there is a good field for my idea there. Besides that, UN established 17 Sustainable Development Goals and is fomenting the responsible production and consumption, so my idea is gaining more space."

4) What is the problem with the current recycling system of Styrofoam?

"The majority of Styrofoam is not recycled, because this material has some characteristics that turn this process unavailable. It is not biodegradable, and it has an economically unfeasible recycling. These packages are light-weighted and bulky, and because of that, they occupy large areas in the already overcrowded landfills. Besides that, they are solid and impermeable, becoming a shield over the ground, which hinders the decomposition and compaction of other organic wastes.

Besides that, as the Styrofoam is not disposed properly, it ends up polluting rivers, and contributing to the formation of floods, because it clogs the drains where water should run."