We built, tested, and compared three different water filters to see which worked best, using natural materials including gravel, pebbles, fine sand, and activated charcoal. We also tested water samples from the school’s tap and the Mystic River for presence of heavy metals and other contaminants.
We followed an experimental protocol to make our first attempt at making plastic from banana peels and adapted that protocol for use with potatoes. We also collected plastic water cups from the school cafeteria to create recycled chandeliers.
We investigated different ways of visualizing the amount of water wasted when a faucet leaks or a pipe drips. We used Scratch to create animations representing this data, collected water bottles and built a sculpture to represent this data, and also wired up a water sensor which, when placed under your faucet, will light up to tell you if you are contributing to water waste.
We created a public service announcement account on Instagram, coupling facts and statistics about food waste with food photography, to help communicate the impact of food waste on the Earth and to encourage people to make a change.
We have built a device that filters and then evaporates and recondenses water for cleaning and reuse. Eventually, we want to try and incorporate into showers so no water will be wasted.
We all experimented with different cornstarch-based recipes for making biodegradable plastics to help solve the problem of over-packaging. With those materials, we then split up into three different groups looking into more scientific investigations around the best bioplastic recipe, art-making with this new material, and the prototyping of a biobox we hope Amazon will consider using to minimize the extreme over-packaging for which they are currently guilty.
Working from a recipe for recycling used paper into new paper, we developed our own recipe for using food waste from high-starch foods into paper. We developed recipes using potatoes, carrots, strawberries, spinach, and more.
Our project is a comedic stop motion starring a character called Electronic Waste. He is trying to explain how dangerous electronic waste is when it releases hazardous chemicals.
We worked to create a cornstarch-based bioplastic that could help to address the issue of food waste, by using excess food. We tried multiple recipes and refined our approach to create a material that was smooth and strong. Eventually, we hope to incorporate other types of foods which are more commonly wasted.
Using old, discarded electronic equipment, we disassembled wires, parts, and other bits to create jewelry and other consumer products. We have all these listed on our own Etsy Store, if you’d like to check us out!
We learned about sand and gravel water filters and how they work to clean water. Stop by our table to try some of our naturally purified water!
We used discarded and recycled materials to create fashion pieces. From skirts and shirts to vests and bags. By reusing these still beautiful materials, we hope to address the issue of over-packaging and packaging waste.