“Trees are a poem the earth writes across the sky. Humanity cuts them down for paper so we may record our emptiness”…
Tree Facts: Did you know that it costs us 1 complete tree to make 16.67 rolls of the newspaper. 1 ream equals to 500 paper sheets (that is 6% of a tree). It’s sad but true that the green cover on earth is gradually declining with each day. Why? This is because we, the humans, mercilessly chop down trees for our selfish needs. As countless trees fall down to meet our never-ending tweets, a group of students from Jaipur, restore our faith in humanity. There conservatory project ‘paper from algae’ won the first position in the category of ‘innovation’ under RRSD (Renewable Resource for Sustainable Development) group. This regional level science exhibition was organised by the CBSE on Saturday.
Paper from Algae Project: A Unique Way to Conserve Trees in Future
The idea of using algae (Kai) for manufacturing paper was proposed by a group of 3 students named ‘Tiny Mighty Al’ from Sawai Bhawani Singh School in Jagatpura. This project was based on the principle of carbon footprint reduction. When combined with latest technologies, this move could prevent climatic changes.
The process uses red algae or ‘Kai’ that’s a waste material. Since algae contains negligible lignin and high amount of cellulose, which means it can be used for producing paper. Wood contains lignin that requires intense time and efforts for removal. Choosing algae for paper production eliminates the additional step of lignin removal. This reduces the time, cost and energy of paper production. Also, algae have the capacity to sequester Carbon Dioxide from the air and convert it into Oxygen. This can reduce carbon footprint and increased the efficiency of oxygen production by trees.
Why is algae a commercial success? It’s because algae can be cultured just about anywhere. The students have produced the algae for their experiment on the balcony of their school. All it requires is bright sunlight, stagnant water and Carbon dioxide. Also, factories can culture algae in less area via organic farming. They can use organic waste like bagasse, rice hulls, peat, vermicompost and other organic residues to prepare fertilisers. Thus, it would’ve killed 2 birds with a single stone– produce paper and reduce waste.
Moreover, also plays an important role in fixing Nitrogen from the air. Moreover, algae can be used as biofertilizer, biofuel and high-protein food. According to the students, it takes just 12 hours for algae to produce paper. The output is more cost-effective, compared to traditional method of paper production.
All in all, it was an innovative and useful idea. The government can apply it to cut costs on paper production. One of the other projects that were lauded in the science fair was a mobile app meant for dyslexic students. The participating teams will be sent to the national’s round. We wish them luck for the finals!
