The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : School students try hands at recycling waste

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Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

School students try hands at recycling waste

Staff Reporter

Students make chalk powder out of egg shells; convert municipal waste into organic manure

Students produced five kg manure from 50 kg of waste
Public can inform them about garbage lying uncollected

— Photo:M. Balaji

Young scientists: Students of Frontline Academy Matriculation HSS in Tirupur displaying the compost unit developed by them.

Tirupur: A group of students at Frontline Academy Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tirupur has carved a niche for themselves by producing chalks from egg shells and converting wastes into organic manure using ‘effective microbial solution’.

D. Ramya, a Plus One student and leader of the ‘young scientists’ team, told The Hindu that the inventions titled ‘Wealth from waste’, were aimed at recycling the rubbish into useful products and thereby prevent environmental degradation.

The other members of the team included Ramya’s classmates B. Nithya, G. Salini, A Karthick and D. Thoufeeq.

Chalk powder

Explaining the technique of converting egg shells into chalks, Ramya said that shells, collected from hostel kitchen, were washed, dried and then crushed into a powdered form.

“Rice flour and diluted adhesives as binding agent are then added to the powder before drying the mixture in a test tube for two days to get chalk powder,” she said.

According to her, calcium content in the egg shells have been utilised to the optimum for converting into chalks.

Compost yard

Regarding the composting unit they have developed, she said that the concept was formulated after seeing the misery of city residents owing to poor waste management practices followed by authorities concerned.

In the unit, garbage collected is first laid in rows before adding a specially prepared ‘effective microbial’ solution.

To activate the microbes in the solution, a mixture of jaggery and water is added and the solution is kept in an airtight plastic can.

“The lid of the can is opened everyday for seven days to release the gas formed inside,” Ramya said.

The solution thus made and added to the garbage will also ensure that smell and flies are kept at a distance besides composting it into good quality manure.

“We are able to produce five kg of manure from every 50 kg of waste,” Ramya said.

Appeal

She has appealed to the public to inform the school about garbage lying uncollected so that it could be collected by the students and turned into manure at the unit. The students can be contacted at 98652-44601, 0421-2358905.

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