Using plastic to get rid of plastic

Durban - Solving global problems at 16 ‒ that’s budding scientist Dia Singh from Newcastle, who took second place on the international stage at the HP Steam Expo Innovation Awards held in Dubai last month.

Her award was for an innovative PIP system that takes on the massive environmental threat of plastic.

This week, Singh explained that her PIP project stood for “Plastic Incinerated by Plastic”.

“I developed a system which burns plastic to create fuel, and this fuel is used to burn more plastic. This creates a closed system of burning plastic,” she said.

The Grade 11 pupil from Curro St Dominics School in Newcastle said the state of the environment and the threat of plastic really came to her attention about a year ago.

“I have always had a passion for biology and nature and watch marine biology programmes. I watched this one programme where a turtle had a straw stuck in its nostril, which was very hard to remove. Plastic is a huge problem, and the current methods to remove plastic are insufficient. The challenge is to get rid of plastic, especially single-use plastic,” said Singh, who then came up with her innovative system of getting rid of plastic altogether.

She said her project consisted of experiments and designs to develop her system, with the aim being to have a positive impact on the environment.

On winning the award, Singh said she had to do her final virtual presentation to a panel of judges in Dubai.

“I was nervous doing my presentation, and when I first heard I was runner-up, I thought it was on a national basis, but then found out it was globally. I was really excited. I couldn’t believe it,” she said on Tuesday.

Singh’s favourite subjects are physics, biology and maths, and she said she was looking towards a career in science and engineering.

“I would really like to study biomedical science or robotics, which would assist people with injuries,” she said.

When she’s not busy turning her scientific mind to solving environmental issues, Singh said she “spends a lot of time reading”, with her favourite author being US writer and poet Maya Angelou. She also plays the piano and guitar.

The HP Steam Expo Innovation Awards (Steam stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) is a partnership between the UAE, Innov8Tech and HP and focuses on young people (9-18 years) finding solutions to real-world problems.

The awards attract submissions from around the globe and encourages students to think creatively about questions which will impact on their future under sub themes of mobility, opportunity and sustainability. This includes a wide range of issues from combating climate change to new methods of powering homes.

The innovations were showcased this year at an international event at the Radisson Red in Dubai on March 12.

The Independent on Saturday