lovesouthernsocial.com

The collected material is transformed into thermal insulation blankets for needy families in the region that suffer from the heat. Project can also be a source of income for parents of students

At the Dr. José Alves da Silveira State School, located in the municipality of Quixeramobim, in the state of Ceará, five students from the first year of the technical building course had a great idea: to reuse long-life packaging in the manufacture of blankets to be installed in linings of the houses. They work as thermal insulators, being able to reduce the interior temperature of the environment by up to 8ºC in the homes of low-income families.

With experiments and statistics, the students were able to prove the efficiency of their invention. Long-life packages have 5% to 25% aluminum in their composition, which guarantees thermal insulation. To complete the project, all that remained was to organize the packaging collection, sanitize them and sew the blankets.

Campaigns to collect packages were spread throughout the city. The project's inventors went to the local radio to explain the initiative and ask for help from the residents of Quixeramobim, in addition to going from house to house asking for milk and juice boxes, among others, and also in supermarkets and snack bars.

The news spread and the adhesion of the residents was total. Most of the students at the school were involved in the project. Scavenger hunts were organized to collect packages and, in the last one, 30,000 were collected. Each blanket has 60 m². One house has already been completely covered and two more will soon be delivered.

The Reaction project also aims to encourage students' parents to participate and form cooperatives to make insulating blankets as an income-generating option. For the students, it is just a scientific study and a productive activity, with no pretense of making a profit.

More products

Other products were developed by students from Quixeramobim. After the thermal blankets for long life packages, thermal bags, windshield protectors, wallets, notebook bags, lunch boxes, cases, pencils, among others, made from the long life package, were produced. All funds raised are invested in improvements and benefits for students.

The shoe factory in the city, Aniger, donated two industrial machines to the Reaction project, which was very useful in the problem of breaking needles, as the household used by the students could not handle the amount of material. Aniger also started donating leftover materials, such as synthetic leather, which was added to the production of purses, wallets and bags.

Even with the increase in production, there are still houses in the queue for thermal insulation due to the high demand. Students at the Dr. José Alves da Silveira State School are now also dedicating themselves to the production of fishing nets and hammocks made from plastic bags of rice, collected in family homes and supermarkets.

Rubber and PVC waste are also reused by Reação - materials that are also donated by the shoe factory. After being crushed, they are reused in the manufacture of bricks for civil construction. This experience can become a source of income for parents of students who are interested in forming a cooperative to manufacture rubber and PVC bricks.

To learn more about the project, visit Reação's official blog.

Images: Sebrae and Reaction Blog