Techno Mum is taking part in an exciting new quiz show which is testing her knowledge about how some of the coolest new tech discoveries came about – in this episode the topic is RECYCLING.
Why is recycling important in technology?
Recycling is important for everyone. There’s only a certain amount of resources on our planet. And with many of them, once they’re gone – they’re gone!
Most designers want the things they make to be available not just today but tomorrow, next week and even next year. That’s called being sustainable. But if you want your stuff to be sustainable, you need to think carefully as you design your new product and before choosing the raw materials.
Sometimes re-using something can be cheaper than using something new. You probably have a refillable water bottle for school. That’s certainly cheaper than buying a new bottle every day. Well these days, designers will design what they make so parts can be easily re-used. Did you know that around 90% of a modern car can be recycled – metals can be used to build a new car, whilst old tyres can go into road surfacing!
Design is not just about reusing materials – part of what engineers do every day is recycling IDEAS. Reusing the very best ideas, improving them to come up with brilliant new solutions to problems.
A cool way recycling has solved an engineering problem:
A bit like glass bottles, plastic bottles can also be recycled – and made into clothing! The plastic is shredded, melted and spun into polyester – that’s a type of thread.
Milk cartons can be recycled as well – into other plastic things like fence posts
In fact new plastic can be made from all sorts of substances – there is even a type of plastic which is made from pig wee!
A job where you’d need to use recycling:
Aerospace Engineering – that’s like being a Rocket Scientist! In some places recycling is the only way to get things done – for example, SPACE!
If you were travelling to Mars, you can’t get supplies along the way. But supplies are heavy and can slow you down.
So the more you can recycle, the further you can go! Aerospace Engineers are experts at figuring out ways to reuse things that are likely to run out, like water to drink and oxygen to breathe.
Tune in to hear Techno Mum’s Tech Trivia in The Club with Bex, every day at 5pm!
Techno Mum’s Tech Trivia – with the Institution of Engineering Technology!
