Textile Biodegradation, Industrial Plastic Recycling Processes, and Automated Waste Characterization were some of the proposals presented by researchers and academics from the university at an event organized by the Illustrious Municipality of Viña del Mar and the V21 District.
By María José Aragonés G., Journalist, General Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Viña del Mar is the municipality that generates the most waste at the regional level, with nearly one-third of the municipal budget spent on waste management. Precisely because of this, the “Technological Update” event, aimed at bringing together key players in the innovation and technology ecosystem, focused on addressing the challenges of this significant issue.
Regarding this matter, Mayor Macarena Ripamonti stated, “This issue is one of the main concerns for all municipalities in the country. Although we are currently addressing it within our municipality, we have a great opportunity to scale up solutions.” For this occasion, the connection was managed by the Directorate of Development and Technological Transfer of USM.
The event included the participation of various universities, research centers, and companies, who were able to closely examine the different dimensions of household waste management, where almost 50% of the waste is organic.
Among the main problems are the lack of resources to improve collection logistics and the available spaces for disposal, in addition to the new legal framework provided by the Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) Law, which designates producers as the main organizers and funders of waste management resulting from the commercialization of their products in the country. On this last point, Carolina Arredondo, a former student and currently the General Coordinator of the REP Law and Recycling Promotion at the Environmental Services Department of the Municipality of Viña del Mar, spoke.
Additionally, Nicolás Valenzuela, an academic from the USM Department of Architecture, presented his work on characterizing scenarios and factors for waste management in public spaces using artificial intelligence. This technology allows for the creation of maps highlighting the main waste hotspots in the city.
Simultaneously, Diego Castro, an engineer in the Industrial Processes area at the Valparaíso Scientific and Technological Center (CCTVal USM), presented work related to replacing materials used in product generation with recycled plastic. “Thanks to the new REP Law, there is significant concern among companies for projects related to sustainability and recycling, as we are developing the capabilities for this. Water management and polymer recycling derived from plastic are among our areas of interest,” commented Castro.
The Tons of Clothing Left by the Fire
Following the mega-fire that struck the towns of Viña del Mar, Quilpué, and Villa Alemana in February this year, large tons of clothing accumulated, improperly disposed of in the affected areas, becoming a focus of waste and unsanitary conditions for the residents.
In this context, the agrobiotechnology team at the “Dr. Daniel Alkalay Lowitt” Biotechnology Center (CB-Dal) is trying to enhance their research line that biodegrades textiles using microorganism-based formulations. They have had much success with the biodegradation of cotton fabrics and even textiles with various percentages of plastic like polyester, as noted by Dr. Marcela Carvajal, a researcher, “These events are a great opportunity to provide solutions that are consistent with environmental demands.”
