Styro-Filter

The United States produces a lot of waste from styrofoam each year. Styrofoam is a white, firm material that is used for packing in boxes. It is difficult to recycle, so most of it goes to landfills, or it becomes litter in oceans and streets. This is harmful for the environment because the material takes thousands of years to break down. This problem inspired three 14-year-olds to design a product that turns foam waste into something useful: carbon filters.

Carbon filters are used to clean water by trapping tiny particles. Foam is 90% carbon, but the process of turning it into a carbon filter is difficult. The team spent over 50 hours testing different levels of of heat and chemicals to transform the Styrofoam, until they found a process that was successful.

They named their product the “Styro-Filter.” This invention tackles two environmental challenges in one! It reduces landfill waste, and it can be used to produce clean water. In the future, the team hopes their design will help people all around the world.  

Click the image below to learn more about this design. 

What would YOU design to reduce waste? Show us your ideas in the design section. 

(Image credit: STEMx)