Week 4

 Project: To substitute a material for a one-time-use water bottle.

Context:

Plastic water bottles have been regarded by some as a container with an ingenious design principle. The materials needed to make them are cheap and they provide a structure strong enough to withstand pressure from within and without, making them convenient to use and produce. In the modern day however, this ingenious idea is more of a curse than a convenience. Empty plastic bottles have been the bane of nature, floras and faunas both have fallen victim to the plastic plague.

The main cause for the pollution caused by plastic bottles and other plastic materials is that they take a long time to disintegrate. Unlike natural materials, it usually takes hundreds of years for plastic to decompose. Thus ensuring long-term pollution of the environment.

This brings us to today's activity; to substitute a material to make one-time use water bottles.

Main ideas for material are:

•  Cellulose Acetate
• Sugarcane Baggase
• Seaweed (Kelp)
• Bamboo

In order to substitute a material, we need to ensure that the new material not only improves the overall quality and performance of the product but also be just as if not more convenient to be used. 

In order to ensure that the new material is an appropriate substitute, we will judge a number of candidate materials based on a number of criteria. The criteria are; cost, biodegradability, recyclability, impact of manufacture on the environment.

Function	To keep any kind of drinks within the bottle.
Constraints	Must be able to hold a firm shape. Must neither chemically affect nor be affected by food ingredients (food safe) Must not let the contents spill Does not harm the environment Sustainable Affordable Light-weight Resistant to pressure
Objective	Does minimum to no damage or harm to the environment when disposed of.

In the table below, we analyzed the provided materials

Table 3: Material Evaluation

In the Table 4 below, we analyzed the economic aspects of the material as the cost is usually crucial for businesses, thus economics

are in a different table altogether.

Concluding Statement: We have decided that the material used to create the eco-friendly disposable bottle will be seaweed in the form of kelp.

As seaweed (kelp) is the second highest in terms of score in the material performance evaluation and the top in economical evaluation.