Register for free to
view the full innovation profile.
Wastly aims at restoring ecosystems by reducing non-recyclable waste, providing benefits and values to the Indian lower social class, and regenerating economies to end poverty.
About
At the beginning of the project, one of the primary focuses was to understand the causes of ice melting. The product performance is based on the same function as the cryosphere, which acts as the Earth's thermostat. The deep freeze regulates our planet's temperature by reflecting the heat coming from the Sun. After recycling MLPs, the new material's aesthetic showed some interesting features. It assimilates the white and blue colour of the ice, and its properties resemble the primary role of the cryosphere. The product can reduce indoor temperatures and humidity by reflecting heat into the atmosphere. The shape of the tile ensures stability, safety, self-ventilation, and ergonomics. Thanks to the product's bent edges, the roof can be easily and safely fixed, creating a water-resistant and heat-reflective roof specifically designed for deprived houses.
Key Benefits
The project started by looking at the damage that human beings had caused to our oceans and landfills, primarily focusing on waste pollution. The most difficult material to biodegrade or recycle are MLPs, such as toothpaste tubes, because they contain an aluminium layer. Existing recycling methods are ineffective. They either separate each material (an expensive process) or use a 'waste to energy' technique (only partially reducing waste). A new strategy was needed. I decided to try to recycle laminated plastics in the same way we recycle plastic bottles. I shredded the material and placed the particles into a mould inside a sheet press machine. After three different tests, a new material with a beautiful aesthetic came out. The heat-reflective and shiny material's surface resembled the Ice texture which inspired me to design roof tiles to reduce the heat and humidity indoors. Due to the high temperatures in Chennai (South India), there is an overproduction of MLPs. Most of the population lives in deprived houses near the dumpsites. For many years, Chennai habitats have been collecting and selling waste for a living, which inspired me to create a new business model. I designed a new NGO called 'Wastly', which seeks to increase vulnerable communities' wages and livelihoods. Currently, some projects are focusing on collecting recyclable plastics to offer sources of income to end poverty and save the oceans from waste pollution. Their strategies aim at reusing recyclable waste, but very few of them decided to collect and process non-recyclable waste (e.g., MLPs) which, theoretically, cannot be processed. Besides, these companies aimed at increasing their turnover by selling products to other countries. Conversely, Wastly tries to generate a business model that would allow disadvantaged people to earn money by making their own products locally. The present project can be applied in similar contexts worldwide with analogues of weather conditions, levels of poverty, social inequalities, and waste management issues. This business model, based on circular economy and sustainability principles, could be used for improving the livelihoods of millions of people living in the most deprived areas in the World.
Applications
Roof tiles. Pavements. Walls and more.