: PhD Researcher Uses Waste Weeds to Make Reusable Sustainable Straws that Last a Year #IndiaNEWS #Innovation One day in July 2021, Dr Devasena, a PhD at the Institute of Technology and Applied Research

PhD Researcher Uses Waste Weeds to Make Reusable Sustainable Straws that Last a Year #IndiaNEWS #Innovation
One day in July 2021, Dr Devasena, a PhD at the Institute of Technology and Applied Research in Coimbatore, was speaking to her friends abroad when one of them mentioned how climate change was starting to be a major concern.

They began delving deeper and suddenly they started discussing straws. “In India, we use a lot of single-use plastic, no doubt,�? says Dr Devasena to The Better India. “But, abroad the use is even more prominent. School-going children all carry a straw with them simply because they are cheap and can be disposed of easily. �?

This is when her friends suggested why not Devasena concentrate her research on this issue.

“I was previously involved in core research and have always been into environmental engineering, wherein I work with sustainable development goals and innovations that limit pollution,�? she says, adding, “Post-COVID a lot of us have been using single-use plastic once again, though their use had been limited in the previous years. Through my research, I have understood that these contribute to 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and I decided I wanted to find a solution to the problem of straws, and in turn, contribute something valuable to society. �?

Dr Devasena works on reusable straws

A step towards sustainability

At the time when this thought struck Dr Devasena, she was conducting a research project that involved the use of the plant Phragmites karka, a tall perennial reed with creeping rhizomes, and its use in treating industrial wastewater.

Elaborating on the project for which the PhD scholar also has a patent, she says, “Textile industries are abundant in Coimbatore, specifically in the area of Tiruppur. So, I decided to conduct a pilot project wherein I created an artificial wetland system and planted this river plant species. �?

Along with this, there was also a filter material with activated carbon that assisted in treating the water. The result amazed her.

“The coloured wastewater that was let into the wetland, flowed out with 100 per cent of the colour removed and TDS (total dissolved solids) removed by 60 per cent. �?

Following this project, one day while she was in the laboratory, her gaze fell on a few reeds of the plant lying nearby, and she noted how sturdy their appearance was. She thought back to the conversation she had with her friends about making sustainable straws, and thought why not try with this plant?

“But, this wasn’t the first time the idea of using a plant’s stem as a straw had struck me,�? she explains.

“I had tried the same with papaya but soon realised that the processing was tedious.