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Plastic for recycling cleaning
ArtMal, established in 2020 by Manota Mphande, is a social enterprise focused on environmental and sustainability initiatives based in Malawi, Blantyre. The organization has carried out extensive cleanup efforts through the Mudi River Cleanup Project, where it collects various forms of waste. This initiative has inspired the repurposing of collected materials; for instance, cloth is transformed into school bags, while plastic waste is processed using Precious Plastic technology to create desks.
ArtMal engages individuals from the informal sector in collecting waste HDPE plastics, providing them with income and employment opportunities. The process involves sorting, washing, and shredding the plastic, which is then transformed into sheets using locally built Precious Plastic Machinery. These sheets are subsequently assembled onto frames to produce complete desks, contributing to both waste reduction and community development.
ArtMal has been actively engaged in the production and sale of high-quality plastic sheets for several months. As part of our operations, we routinely use HDPE bottles to streamline our processes. However, we are facing significant challenges with the cleaning of these bottles. The current cleaning method is proving to be inefficient, taking an excessive amount of time to ensure that each bottle is thoroughly cleaned and ready for reuse. This delay is impacting our production schedules and overall workflow, prompting us to seek more effective cleaning solutions to enhance efficiency and maintain our quality standards.
As the business continues to grow, ArtMal is seeking a skilled and dedicated engineering student to design a low-cost, easy-to-use, and effective cleaning technology for HDPE bottles that are subsequently shredded to produce plastic sheets. This role will focus on implementing more effective and quicker cleaning solutions to enhance efficiency and maintain our quality standards.
In the course of the project, the student will be responsible for:
- Material Understanding: Learn about HDPE properties and cleaning requirements.
- Current Process Evaluation: Assess the existing cleaning procedures to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- Resource Inventory: Take stock of the cleaning materials and equipment currently available.
- Best Practices Research: Research effective cleaning methods used in similar industries.
- Cleaning Solutions Development: Develop and test new cleaning solutions or techniques that could enhance efficiency.
- Training Materials: Create training materials for staff on the new cleaning procedures.
- Feedback Loop: Establish a system for collecting ongoing feedback to continuously improve the cleaning process.
In the course of the project, the student will be responsible for: - Material Understanding: Learn about HDPE properties and cleaning requirements. - Current Process Evaluation: Assess the existing cleaning procedures to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. - Resource Inventory: Take stock of the cleaning materials and equipment currently available. - Best Practices Research: Research effective cleaning methods used in similar industries. - Cleaning Solutions Development: Develop and test new cleaning solutions or techniques that could enhance efficiency. - Training Materials: Create training materials for staff on the new cleaning procedures. - Feedback Loop: Establish a system for collecting ongoing feedback to continuously improve the cleaning process.
To design, test, and evaluate a low-cost, easy-to-use, effective cleaning technology for HDPE bottles used for the production of sheets.
To design, test, and evaluate a low-cost, easy-to-use, effective cleaning technology for HDPE bottles used for the production of sheets.
This research looks for a master-level mechanical engineering/environmental engineering student with skills in hands-on experience in process improvement, research, design and quality assurance.
Interested and qualified students are invited to contact Dr. Jakub Tkaczuk (jtkaczuk@ethz.ch).
This research looks for a master-level mechanical engineering/environmental engineering student with skills in hands-on experience in process improvement, research, design and quality assurance.
Interested and qualified students are invited to contact Dr. Jakub Tkaczuk (jtkaczuk@ethz.ch).
ETH for Development (ETH4D) aims to develop innovations that are directly relevant to improving the livelihoods of people in low-resource settings and to educate future leaders in sustainable development.
2025_Student-Projectcall_Masters_Cleaning_technology.pdf
