together they brainstormed ideas to tackle the pressing issue of plastic pollution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cthe solution: focus on reducing the production and availability of single-use plastic products along with their usage by providing an equally convenient alternative. that\u2019s exactly what i wanted to do,\u201d said hussain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
hussain\u2019s interview about envo and her plans with garage\u2019s jumpstart program. (jesse perlmutter)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nfinding materials that are truly biodegradable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n inspired by vietnamese wild grass straws, hussain developed the idea to use wheat, the most abundantly available raw material in pakistan and many parts of the world including the u.s. they reached out to pakistani farmers to source wheat stems that function as naturally formed straws because of their hollow inside and cylinder shape. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cthat summer we would watch shows and cut straws,\u201d said hussain, \u201cwe didn\u2019t have to do any factory manufacturing. all we had to do was take our scissors and cut them.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nfollowing the initial preparation phase comes a cleaning and refining process where the wheat straws are boiled in water, which also helps to stiffen the stems. from start to finish hussain said that all processes involved in the creation of the straws are chemical-free.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\npaper straws have become the most common alternative to plastic straws. however, hussain believes that envo is a more sustainable and effective product. in terms of utility, she stressed that wheat straws are able to hold up better so they don\u2019t become flimsy in liquid. additionally, they are plant fiber, which can go in compost bins. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cin regards to waste they are better off too. where you can use one wheat straw for a couple of drinks, you will have to use five or six paper straws. wheat is also a natural product while paper straws require a lot of factory production and machinery,\u201d said hussain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nmiaohan tang, a northwestern university postdoctoral researcher, studies the environmental impact of polymer degradation using life cycle assessment. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nshe conducts her research through a database created by national labs, including argonne national laboratory, to conduct a macro-scale analysis of plastic\u2019s environmental impact. in particular she focuses on polypropylene, used most commonly in plastics. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\ntang explained that among numerous types of plastic, biodegradable plastic has gained recent popularity. it is composed of polylactic acid, which is derived from materials such as cornstarch and sugarcane. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201chowever, biodegradable plastics are not necessarily biodegradable,\u201d said tang. \u201cyou must also consider the specific conditions or environments that must be maintained. for example some polylactic acid will only biodegrade under industrial composting considerations. if polylactic acid enters into the marine environment, its degradation rate is similar to the traditional, high-density fossil based plastic.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\ntang recommends that large companies who use biodegradable plastic consider the environmental impact of plastic\u2019s life cycle as well its production stage. she notes that most biodegradable plastics end up in landfills and action should be taken by these businesses to increase education on plastic damage or further promote plastic recycling. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nwhen the environmental impact of alternatives to polypropylene plastic are examined from multiple viewpoints, it reveals distinct avenues for pollution that must be considered. biodegradable plastic straws have good environmental performers in accumulation, however, \u201cwhen we consider energy and water consumption, sometimes the traditional paper straw has better performers from a lifecycle perspective,\u201d said tang. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nfighting pollution at both the consumer and corporate levels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n northwestern\u2019s associated student government sustainability committee focuses on initiatives that highlight waste management. committee chair, sophomore majoring in journalism sam bull, said \u201cit\u2019s hard for consumers to know what’s recyclable. there are seven plastic types, labeled by a tiny number on the bottom of every package. there are some plastics that are impossible to recycle, but most people wouldn’t know which ones. a lot of what we’re trying to do is just educate.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nbull hopes to see northwestern follow through on environmental initiatives including the implementation of a sustainability distribution requirement and the removal of plastic water bottles that are provided with meals at norris student center. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nsimilar to tang\u2019s emphasis on holding large companies liable, bull expressed his anti-establishment sentiment, \u201ci don\u2019t want to alleviate responsibility from people, however it’s significant that 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nthe global engagement summit (ges) is a student-run-innovation conference that brings delegates from around the world to collaborate and share their projects at northwestern. member of ges, sophomore majoring in history chloe rappaport, took part in planning the conference this past year which brought startups to campus like farmlink \u2013 a company that fights food insecurity by repurposing surplus produce. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201ci think the most important type of entrepreneurial endeavors are those that bring about positive social or environmental impacts. there are so many companies whose sole goal is to just make money. the innovations that really matter are the ones that better the world,\u201d said rappaport. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"northwestern students discuss environmental initiatives to reduce plastic, including zhara hussain, a young entrepreneur seeking to replace plastic straws with a biodegradable alternative. 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the last straw - planet forward<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n