Recycling research earns recognition for environmental engineer

As demand for greater fuel efficiency in vehicles grows, so does their plastic content. A University of Windsor researcher who graduated this spring with her master's degree in environmental engineering recently won an award for her work to recycle those plastic materials.

Noor-A-Faiza Barsha is currently working as a research associate with professor Edwin Tam. Her paper, "The Potential Effects of Alternative Comminution Methods for Enhancing Recycling from Plastic Products," was judged the best by a young professional in the resource conservation and waste management group at the Air & Waste Management Association's annual conference, held in Detroit in June.

"It's a really prestigious thing for me," Barsha said. "The response I got showed that people are really concerned about this."

Her paper examined ways to liberate plastics from one another during the recycling process, and focused on plastics used in automobiles. Breaking down the plastic—or comminution—is made more difficult because different polymers are bonded together during manufacturing. Separating plastics from one another would make sorting them for recycling significantly easier.

"Currently, the plastic is shredded and landfilled," she said. Barsha proposes that pre-treating the plastics may make it easier to liberate them, ultimately making recycling more commercially viable. This is important, she says—modern cars are about 10 percent plastic, and she believes that percentage will only go up.

"Fuel-efficient vehicles means more lightweighting, and that generally means more use of lighter materials such as plastics," she said. "Liberating these materials during recycling will require selective and intelligent methods."

Members of the review committee were impressed with her work. The chair of her paper session enthused that her research may find application in the recycling of computers, telephones, and other electronics.

"This is the field I want to pursue as a career. More work needs to be done to keep plastics out of landfills," Barsha said. "At some point, we have to start making recycling our products a serious practice."

She said the award caps her student career at the University, and said she especially appreciated the encouragement and support of Drs. Tam and Nihar Biswas, as well as the lab technicians and her research mates.

Article is courtesy of the Daily News - July 6, 2009