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Jeronimo Batista Bucher - Argentine, Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 Winner | Biotechnologist | Argentine

Millions of tons of polluting plastic waste are produced every year in Latin America and the world. Most of this is due to the usage of disposable products. Single-use plastic cups are a great exponent in that group. They are generally utilized for just a few minutes and then become obsolete and take hundreds of years to decompose. After being thrown away, they become dangerous pollutants that affect our ecosystems, endanger our health, and end up in what we drink, in our food, and even in the air we breathe. Sorui brings about a solution to this problem. This project raises the possibility of replacing disposable plastic cups, with machines that automatically produce and dispense biodegradable cups in situ. This alternative composition is based on algae extracts and disappears entirely in less than two weeks, re-entering the natural cycles of matter and avoiding the current generation of residues.

I am a biotechnology student at Universidad Nacional de San Martín and an integrated solid waste management researcher. I also have a B. Tech. in information and communications technology from ORT (graduated with the highest historical average grade). I was awarded first prize at the National Science Olympiads and various medals as an Argentine delegate at the American and international level. I was a national representative at the G20 Youth Summit in Germany and environmental emissary to Chancellor Angela Merkel. I have been recognized for my technological and legislative initiatives at institutions such as the Argentine National Congress, the Organization of American States, Harvard-MIT, the World Bank, INVAP, JCI, Allbiotech, AHK, and Kairos.

Disclaimer: NOTE: This content was shared online for the 2019 cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth programme and has not been updated. This listing does not constitute any endorsement by nor status with the UN Environment Programme.

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