A pair of Grade 11 students from Bishop James Mahoney (BJM) High School have picked a pretty unique way to spend their free time over the last 12 months.
Sophia LeCroix and Kai Chen started a business which helps the city become a little more green.
“We were pretty bored and we needed something to work on and work towards. So late one night, we were brainstorming ideas of possible ways that we could have a positive impact on our community,” LeCroix said.
The duo noticed discarded pop bottles in greenspaces and started thinking of ways to reuse the plastic.
LeCroix and Chen’s non-profit organization SK Eco Solutions convert plastic pop bottles to filament for 3D printers.
They use a machine that strips the bottle into a plastic coil then heats it until it’s malleable enough to turn into filament.
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The Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) tends to see bottles when they clean Saskatoon trails and collect them for Chen and LeCroix.
The authority’s CEO noted the pair has found a different way of thinking about reusing products.
“To be able to coordinate it during a pandemic is also exciting. So we’re more than helpful and here to help support the success of their project,” Andrea Lafond told Global News.
SK Eco Solutions’ process also uses less energy compared to the traditional way of recycling bottles, which shrinks the city’s carbon footprint.
LeCroix and Chen intend to give the filament to their high school so classmates can refill the printer whenever it’s empty.
An industrial arts teacher at BJM said it’s impressive to see students taking lessons from the classroom and using them practically.
“These kids are starting a business from scratch essentially doing something that not a lot of other people in the world are doing,” Kyle Lishchynsky added.
The process of setting up their non-profit organization has been hampered by the pandemic.
The machine used to convert the plastic to filament was delivered from Russia and took weeks to arrive.
Chen noted it cost the equivalent of $1200 CAD, but they were able to garner funds from a number of sponsors including the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation.
“Plastic is a major initiative we are working on at Inspired Go and we loved the entrepreneurial philanthropy shown by Sophia (LeCroix) and Kai (Chen). We know that regardless of how small you start, your idea can develop quickly and have a big impact. These students are well on their way to making a difference in the world,” read a statement from the foundation’s chairperson Laurie Karwacki.
The pair are still testing the filament they’ve created on their school’s 3D printer and hope it will be used by students in the near future.
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