Project Mentor: Prof. Thomas Gartner, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
2024 Impact Fellows:
Estefania Ravelo ‘26
Nicholas Evaristo ‘27
George Jabbour ‘27
Maeve Timms '27
Jing Yan ‘27
Project Description:
How can greener alternatives to single-use plastics be introduced into the street food markets of Manila?
Every week, millions of people across Metro Manila grab a meal at roadside stalls, food trikes, and family-owned restaurants popularly known as carinderias. Many of these vendors use single-use plastic to serve and package the food they are selling, further contributing to the plastic waste challenges facing the Philippines. How might we introduce more environmentally sustainable alternatives to these traditional plastics in the Philippines?
AgriWrap is a project focused on turning agricultural waste into a more sustainable product, AgriWrap’s ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of single-use packaging waste produced to promote a clean environment. One prominent solution is bioplastics. AgriWrap focuses on bioplastic pellets that could be molded into various plastic goods like plastic bags. This summer the AgriWrap team performed social science research and observed street vendors in Metro Manila. The 2024 team collected data on the types of packaging used and prices for those types of packaging. Additionally, they spoke with several bioplastic manufacturing companies to begin to tackle this issue.
Moving forward, AgriWrap plans to analyze this data collected and determine possible areas to improve the efficiency of the food packaging market to make biodegradable options available to street vendors. Additionally, they may be in the lab working to manufacture their own bioplastic. Another critical area of focus will be to apply for research grants in order to move forward our venture and create partnerships with current manufacturers. All majors are encouraged to apply.
