Innovation, Essay Example

The desire of getting to create new ways of turning waste into useful items have been a continuous mission for the 3D4D competition in meeting together with engineering students who are specifically interested in creating new waves of innovation. The winner of the current competition came from the Washington University in Seattle who entered a product that would turn discarded plastics into composting toilets and other specific elements that could be used for developing rainwater collection system.

The primary mission of the team as lead by Matthew Rogge was to make it easier for plastic products to be removed or at least be lessened from the list of waste that are being discarded every now and then and thus contribute to the lowering of waste rate that needs to be managed every time. The thought came into the mind of Rogge when he was helping to build irrigations systems as he worked with the Peace Corps of US stationed in Ghana, Panama and Bolivia. Working in these areas allowed him to see the need to contend with the limited resources that the areas had. In relation to this, he then decided to create a process that would provide a chance for the most used waste in the said locations and turn them into more useful items for the society. Rogge, along with this project, proposed the utilization of large 3D printers that would allow them to print out plastic elements without clogging the machinery. The team realized that the use of refurbished plastic allows the creation of leak-free catchment systems.  This innovation does not only improve the current systems of water-management operations, it also improves the process of waste management that areas such as Ghana, Bolivia and Panama are using to improve the integrity of their current environmental resources. This then increases the capacity of the said places to support primary conditions of well-designed management operations to improve environmental protection and development.

Introducing this particular innovation to the market is expected to create a sense of development especially in the manner by which engineers design specific forms of saving-materials that could improve waste management procedures. No legal protection is needed in relation to this matter, although it is expected that when it comes to the marketing of the item, it is essential that the engineering system be promoted properly especially in consideration with how it is introduced to the general buying public.

Reference:

Students win prize with device that turns plastics into toilets. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/news/students-win-prize-with-device-that-turns-plastics-into-toilets/1014383.article#ixzz2Aaud31e4. (October 28, 2012).