Plastic, again
Did you know that more than 13 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans annually? This is equivalent to dumping a truck of garbage into the ocean… every minute!
Some of the plastics even end up in the depths of the sea, where recent studies found up to 13,500 microplastics per cubic meter of water in the Mariana Trench (one of the deepest places on the planet).
In Portugal and Europe, around 80% of the trash found on beaches is made of plastic and many packaging actually comes from bathrooms.
4 young people and a promising idea
Isabel Oliveira, Maria Toga, Vasco Cardoso and Nuno Aroso, were therea chemistry class, nthe Maia Secondary School (in Porto), when they had an idea for replace plastic shower gel packaging with a biodegradable and environmentally friendly alternative!
What capsule is this?
“Clea“, is a capsule of single dose made from sodium alginate (compound taken from seaweed and safe for the skin and the environment) and calcium chloride.
It’s the star of this project by 4 young Portuguese people, which has the support of FEUP (read more here!) and has already been awarded by the National Geographic Society!
It’s very simple!
We know it seems strange… taking a shower with a capsule. But first you are surprised and then you understand!
- Just take a capsule
- Molhá-la
- And disappears in your hands while you wash
- Best of all: no plastic leftover
Now can you imagine what would happen if this were applied to other products we bring home full of plastic?
And you, what do you do for the environment?
Have you ever had any green ideas? What do you do or would you like to do on a daily basis for a more sustainable world?
We want to know what you’re thinking and/or reading! Send us your opinion text or a book synopsis (up to 1000 characters with spaces) to expressinho@estrelaseouricos.pt. Don’t forget to send a photo of yourself!