Interview with two mechanical engineering students from the URV who have designed a prototype for screening plastics on the beach

Last Friday, Guillem Amigó and Gerad Llobregat, two of the seven mechanical engineering students at the URV who created this prototype, told us how this project was carried out.

Guillem Amigó and Gerard Llobregat, at the College's headquarters

The project arose from the subject of Mechanical Technology within the APS, Learning and Service methodology, which includes a social part. At first they did not know how to approach this project, but it was when, talking to their project tutor, the idea of talking to entities and companies that set out their concerns and social issues was raised. The Long Beach Platform presented the problem of the presence of microplastics on our coast, and this is when they saw that the idea of creating a machine could fit.

"We wanted to contribute and try to create a commitment to zero waste, a sustainable machine that does not contaminate when collecting microplastics"

They previously analyzed samples of the collections they made on the Long Beach and were surprised by the large number of microplastics they collected with a simple strainer in a square meter: "the result was impressive"

The project: a sustainable machine that does not need a car or tractor to move it from one point to another.

A manual design, simple and focused on the areas where this pollutant accumulates most, such as the dunes, which are the pristine areas of the beach "we wanted to make a simple machine that does not damage the ecosystem, without moving the sand, that at the same time as the screening, the sand falls back and does not move "

They also tell us that they keep in touch with environmental organizations that are investigating this fact and its origin, with great concern they tell us that the problem is more serious than it seems.

Vocational Training students will make this project a reality

"The goal would be for some companies to be interested in the project and carry it out, but the cost of recycling this material is very expensive, and few companies can or want to take it on."

Vocational Training students will execute the project as part of their studies and will be able to see the reality of their project.