Diverse Engineering Solutions for the Modern World
A boy searches through trash at Happyland in search of anything valuable. Photo credit: Ted McDonnell
My interest in sustainable fashion and environmental innovation began when I participated in the EngineerGirl essay contest with my work “Diverse Engineering Solutions for the Modern World.” As I learned about the devastating conditions in Happyland, a community in Manila surrounded by mountains of plastic waste, I realized that the fashion and plastic crises were intertwined. Writing that essay opened my eyes to the human side of environmental science. Although I didn’t win the contest, the process ignited my determination to keep exploring sustainable materials and social responsibility in fashion. That spark grew into this platform, Smart Fashion, dedicated to advancing circular design and awareness of fashion’s global impact. Below is the essay that first inspired this journey.
Diverse Engineering Solutions for the Modern World
A heavy smog shrouds the community of Happyland in the Philippines, one of the poorest settlements in Manila, as piles of discarded plastic goods build up into thick layers of rubbish. Impoverished Filipinos scavenge in the rat-infested dump in search of reusable materials for resale, posing a serious threat to their health. Moreover, waste pickers burn and dismantle waste to get materials, releasing hazardous byproducts that impact human health and the environment. Furthermore, plastics clog drains and waterways entering into estuaries and flowing out to sea, finding their way into the coral reefs affecting marine life worldwide (World Economic Forum, 2019). However, in the midst of despair, a diverse, multidisciplinary team led by two female engineers and a female scientist bring hope as they developed a revolutionary technology that can be part of the solution to the plastic pollution and waste crisis.
Society has undoubtedly benefited from the great engineering achievements of the 20th century, including those in the area of petroleum and petrochemical technologies, as refined forms of petroleum revolutionized almost all industries. Today, petrochemical products are everywhere, including plastics, clothing, packaging, medicine, and digital devices. However, some of these engineering achievements have adversely impacted the environment and society, particularly within marginalized groups in developing countries.
Many plastic items are useful and convenient, but they also come with a high environmental and social cost. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to degrade, so if plastic is not properly recycled, it is either littered, burned, or landfilled, contaminating the environment as it breaks down into microplastics. Contrary to popular belief, plastic is not easily recycled. Only 5% to 6% of plastic waste generated in the U.S. in 2021 was recylced (World Economic Forum, 2022). The mass production of plastic in the 20th century has created a plastic pollution crisis worldwide. This issue is exacerbated in developing countries since they lack adequate waste management systems, resulting in plastic waste piling up in massive dumps and leaking into the ocean (United Nations, 2021).
Could 20th century engineers have anticipated that the technology they were creating could be so detrimental to the environment and society? The diversity deficit in the engineering field limits engineers from considering design constraints. In 2021, women made up only 17% of the engineering workforce in the U.S (Bosworth, 2022). Unlike many other professions, such as medicine, engineers do not have a direct interface with society, so there is even a greater need to work in a diverse community to gain different perspectives. In my own experience, having worked in a multicultural team for a recent school project about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the most marginalized, I noticed how being able to weigh the merits of alternative perspectives improved the outcome of the project. Research has shown that collaboration among diverse groups is essential to produce innovative technologies that can solve real-world problems (Bear & Williams Wooley, 2011). The evolution of society is dependent on the development of technology in which engineers play a major role. Therefore, the different viewpoints, expertise, and life experiences that come with diversity will boost engineers to address a wider range of design constraints, leading to inclusive technology.
Mango Materials, a renewable byproducts company, is a testament of how diverse teams can achieve innovative, inclusive solutions. Founded by engineers Molly Morse and Allison Pieja and microbiologist Anne Schauer-Gimenez, Mango Materials developed an innovative technology that converts methane into a bioplastic. In developing this technology, the female team considered multiple design constraints. Currently, the raw materials behind plastics are fossil fuels, while Mango Materials’ technology uses methane, an abundant gas, facilitating a low-cost highly scalable process. The methane feeds a bacteria that naturally produces a biopolymer, which then is manufactured into pellets that can be incorporated into any supply chain and converted into biodegradable bioplastic. When these eco-friendly plastic goods are properly discarded, they biodegrade naturally back into methane, creating a closed-loop cradle-to-cradle process. Even if these alternative plastics are improperly disposed of and end up in the ocean, they naturally decompose into basic elements in about six weeks (Mango Materials, 2023). While Mango Materials is still developing, it has received recognition from various prestigious organizations, including NASA. It has also partnered with many industries producing commercialized products and making prototypes (Bee, 2018). Mango Materials' innovative process allows us to envision a better future.
The three co-founding women scientists, from left to right: Allison Pieja, Chief Technology Office; Molly Morse, CEO; and Anne Schauer-Gimenez, VP of Customer Engagement.
Replacing conventional plastic goods with biodegradable goods solves two problems: plastics pollution and waste. Once again, greater diversity leads to greater, inclusive, and innovative solutions. A solution that would provide everyone, including the people of Happyland, the life that they deserve.
Bibliography
Bear, J., & Williams Wooley, A. (2011). The role of gender in team collaboration and performance - researchgate. Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anita-Woolley/publication/228196582_The_Role_of_Gender_in_Team_Collaboration_and_Performance/links/00b7d519507d4f39f3000000/The-Role-of-Gender-in-Team-Collaboration-and-Performance.pdf
Bee, S. (2018). Mango materials - sustainability leaders interview with seal awards. SEAL Awards. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://sealawards.com/mango-materials-interview/
Bosworth, K. (2022). More women in engineering now than ever before. MDPI Blog. Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://blog.mdpi.com/2022/06/22/more-women-engineering/
Greatest engineering achievements of the Twentieth Century. (n.d.). Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies. Retrieved January 14, 2023, from http://greatachievements.org/?id=2965
Mango Materials. (n.d.). Complicated Science, Simple Solutions. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://www.mangomaterials.com/innovation/#mangoLoopSection0
St. Catherine University. (2021). 7 Inspirational Women in Business and Tech. Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.stkate.edu/academics/women-in-leadership-degrees/7-inspirational-women-business-and-tech
United Nations. (2021). Plastic pollution disproportionately hitting marginalized groups, UN Environment Report finds | UN news. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1088712
World Economic Forum. (2019). This is what the world's waste does to people in poorer countries. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/this-is-what-the-world-s-waste-does-to-people-in-poorer-countries/
World Economic Forum. (2022). Top 25 recycling facts and statistics for 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/recycling-global-statistics-facts-plastic-paper/
