Breaking the Plastic Wave

Problem Statement #

Breaking the Plastic Wave is not about fighting plastic—it is about fighting plastic pollution by creating a circular plastic economy.

Julia Quill is the newly appointed Chief Plastic Process Developer at Recycling SA (RecSA). RecSA is a large organisation with several subsidiary companies focusing on recycling aspects, including buying recyclables from informal waste pickers, who are responsible for over 51% of all recycling in South Africa.

Julia recently came across fascinating research regarding the use of insects for the recycling of polystyrene, one of the most widely used plastics. Since polystyrene is not currently recyclable by RecSA, it represents a fantastic new process to develop. Julia has decided that a pre-feasibility study is required to unravel the uncertainties and acquire confidence in the concept of plastic biodegradation.

The Global Youth Systems Engineering of the Year (GYSEOY) Challenge for 2025 is to assist Julia and her team in designing a system to evaluate and scale the biodegradation of plastics using these insects.

Reference Material #

As part of the scenario, participants are directed to study the recent discovery of a natural “plastic eater” in Kenya that could help in the fight against pollution in Africa:

The Conversation - Plastic Eating Insect #

Article: The Conversation - Plastic-eating insect discovered in Kenya

Plastics SA #

The Full Scenario Challenge #

To read the complete GYSEOY 2025 scenario, including all references, exhibits, and the detailed system requirements, please download the full challenge document below: