Students turn plastic caps into board games
THE CAPS of water bottles collected by the Zero Waste Club of Eskişehir Organized Industrial Zone (EOSB) Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School are being turned into board games.
Some 35 students in the school’s Zero Waste Club made the boards and beads of the board games from the bottle caps they collected for recycling in the grinding machine under the supervision of mechanical department teacher Ali Yar.
School Principal Bülent Seğmen told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the school focuses on the fields of machine design technology, automation, electrical and electronics, metal technology and plastic technology.
“Our school is equipped with the latest technology and hosts 1,300 students. We offer students practical experience through real job opportunities and an economic enterprise within the school premises. Our goal is to foster students’ holistic development, not just academically,” Seğmen said.
“The school implements a waste management system where they collect waste materials and use them in their machines to produce various products, including game boards. These boards were even used in a competition in Romania, marking the school’s first export venture. We ensure that no PET bottles or related plastic materials go to waste, with several factories and another school now sending their plastic waste to be included in the upcycling project. This initiative not only transforms waste into valuable products but also raises awareness about recycling among the students,” he explained.
Yar, who also oversees plastic recycling at the school, explained that his students prioritize the issue of zero waste.
He highlighted their school’s focus on projects involving the use of plastic waste. He mentioned that the school produces 1,300 bottle caps daily and started collecting them with the help of students in the Zero Waste Club. The school collaborated with the World Kumalak Federation, which initially proposed producing game boards from metal. However, the school suggested using plastic to reduce costs and promote the zero waste principle, which was well-received. They were able to produce game boards from water bottle caps in just 10 minutes each, sending 50 boards to a championship in Romania last summer.
Azra Rüzgar, a student, explained the process of collecting plastic water bottle caps to create tables for Beştemse, a traditional game in Kazakhstan. She described how they transferred the broken caps to the mold of injection machines and assembled the game tables using small screws. She also expressed happiness in being able to produce something useful from plastic waste.