The world has a dramatic waste problem that is continuisly getting worse. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) predicts that global municipal waste, which stood at 2.3 billion tons in 2023, could reach 3.8 billion tons by 2050 – enough to fill 1.5 million Olympic swimming pools. "That's alarming," says Handan Sahin, a Master's student of Media and Communication Science. As part of a seminar on “Sustainability in Communication”, she spoke to students of Prof. Stephan Husung, Head of Product and System Development at TU Ilmenau. He had set them the task of developing technical solutions for waste separation for households.
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Learning to Design for a Sustainable Future
Engineering students develop waste separation machines for households
"Given the environmental pressures the world is facing, TU Ilmenau has made it its mission to educate its students so that they are able to face the challenges associated with creating a sustainable society," explains Handan Sahin:
Professor Husung's Development Methodology course is an excellent example of how future engineers can play a key role in sustainable societies by finding innovative solutions that reduce environmental impact and optimize resource use to achieve global sustainability goals. It is fascinating to see how students at TU Ilmenau are already tackling this problem in their studies.
According to the student, the task set is also particularly relevant for future engineers because of the great importance of waste management for the environment and a sustainable society. Although Germany already has a well-functioning waste sorting system, the current situation is far from perfect according to the available data.
"It's not an easy task, but we've learned a lot"
"Although it was exciting for the young scientists from different degree programs at the Department of Mechanical Engineering to tackle a real-life problem, developing a waste separation machine for everyday use was a major challenge for them. The student group was aware of the importance of waste separation for the circular economy", says Handan:
The aspiring engineers know that they can contribute to a more sustainable society through their work. Using the information and techniques they learned from Professor Husung, they designed an automated waste separation machine for the kitchen.
For Max Nagel, the spokesperson for the student group, this was a challenging task with many things to consider before he and his fellow students even started the design – but also a very rewarding challenge:
"It's not an easy task, but we have learned a lot: this course has taught us that there are many things to consider when developing a product," says Max, as he explains the four steps the students followed for their project:
We started this project by identifying the problem in all aspects and thinking about what the design process and the machine should look like. We then went into detail, evaluated all possible sorting methods and selected the best one.
Max and his fellow students then began to design the product:
Creating such a machine for households was challenging as we had to take many things into account. For example, it has to be user-friendly, suitable for the kitchen and affordable so that people can buy it. But it also had to meet sustainability requirements in terms of the materials used, operation and service life.
Design begins with planning
According to Max, designing a product requires a detailed plan that takes all possible aspects into account:
Since we were given a general task, it was up to us to decide what to do and to be creative. For example, there are many alternatives when it comes to waste sorting systems for households. It can be integrated into the kitchen, placed in the garden or in the garage.
Another point to consider was the type of waste to be sorted: Material types such as paper, plastic, organic waste, textiles, electronics or even non-recyclable waste. Max and his friends decided on the four most common types, which are usually disposed of in separate garbage cans in Germany: Paper, plastic, biowaste and non-recyclable waste. In their design, four different waste garbage cans are installed on a rotating system. As soon as the waste enters the machine, the platform on which it lands vibrates and filters out the small pieces in an initial screening process, which are then sorted directly into the bin for the non-recyclable category. Then three different spectral cameras, mounted at different angles, recognize the types of materials. Using a rotating arm, the waste is then separated and pushed into the correct bins. The garbage cans can be emptied separately, so users don't have to wait until all the bins are full to take the waste out of the house.
"It's exciting to see how a course assignment inspires future engineers to develop solutions to existing problems and create useful products with existing materials and technologies," says Handan Sahin: "For now, the designs they created are not systems that work with 100 percent accuracy. But the automated solution they have built seems to be a good option for everyone, as not everyone sorts their waste perfectly, and could make sorting waste easier for people - and thus contribute to a sustainable future." At the same time, the course also opens up opportunities for students' future careers:
Innovative tasks such as these lay the foundations for future developments. With their project, the students can contribute to the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly waste sorting systems and thus help to achieve global sustainability goals.
About the Development Methodology course
The Development Methodology course, taught by Prof. Stephan Husung, is one of the compulsory courses in the Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automotive Engineering and Industrial Engineering degree programs. It teaches prospective engineers all the necessary steps and methods for product development and teaches them how to integrate sustainable engineering principles into their designs. After the theoretical part of the course, students must design a product and pass the final exam to build their skills. With this course, students at TU Ilmenau not only acquire valuable technical skills, but also learn how to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Contact
Prof. Stephan Husung
Head of the Product and Systems Engineering Group