Amreeta’s team investigated how to better dispose of waste streams in Rotterdam. They came up with a way to upcycle plastic, as opposed to simply recycling it: ‘Recycling is currently a circular process: you buy a bottle of cola at the store, and you return it once it’s empty.’

Upcycling

An extensive process is then needed to make this plastic bottle reusable: first, it has to be transported to a factory where the plastic is remoulded, and after this the bottle has to be refilled, relabelled, and transported once again. It is only then that the circle is truly complete: the bottle has returned to the store. ‘This challenge was about finding a way to give waste materials greater value in a sustainable manner,’ says Amreeta.

By using a different material, human hair, the process becomes sustainable and more environmentally friendly. Amreeta explains: ‘By using both plastic and human hair, we’ve developed a new material. This material is biodegradable, which results in a reduction of waste. We tried several different materials, but human hair was the one that really stood out. It was the most remarkable, and proved to be very effective. As such, it wasn’t a hard choice to make.’

Rotterdam100

It is a remarkable feat that Amreeta made it to the finals: each year, there are 500 applicants for the Rotterdam100, a large Rotterdam-based business challenge in which major companies collaborate with talented young people. Based on their resumes and letters of motivation, 100 of them are then invited to pitch their ideas.

Amreeta: ‘That was quite nerve-racking, but if you have a successful pitch, you continue on to the 24-hour battle. For this battle, you are teamed up with students from other universities and universities of applied sciences. You have 24 hours to solve the assigned case: our case was about how to process waste streams in an innovative way. The case study was assigned by a large company, which also provided guidance and support during this battle.’

Amazing opportunity

Amreeta thinks it is a pity that only two higher professional education students made it to the finals this year: ‘It is an amazing opportunity to network, to learn from professionals, to gain valuable experience, and to pitch your idea.’

Amreeta can’t promise that starting March 2017, our hairdressers are obligated to collect the hair they cut into special bags, but nevertheless she hopes that her story inspires other students to apply to the 2017 challenge. For now, however, she’ll have to be patient: Amreeta is presenting her hair invention in the international Final of ‘Get in the Ring’, which is held in the United States in March 2017.

Bas Koedood