AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Play & Learning
GOALS
Quality Education, Clean Water & Sanitation, Life Below Water
KEYWORDS
microplastic, Plastic pollution , Ocean health, new learning methods
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Toby Allen
WEBSITE
https://wearemadeinbrunel.com/micro-sampler
Micro Sampler
Microplastics sampling device used by secondary schools to educate children on ocean issues
750 tons of plastic is thought to be dumped in our oceans daily. Plastics break up into ‘microplastics’ which are able to find their way into our food system via aquatic and birdlife. A single litre of seawater can contain 8.3 million particles of microplastics.
This portable device has the ability to extract microplastics from sediment samples via density separation. A 30-page activity book takes students through two days of environmentally sensitive activities. Students are guided through the sampling processes before completing a redesigning task using the knowledge gained from their activities. The book encourages students by offering prizes to those who display extraordinary creativity, problem-solving or critical thinking. The Micro Sampler product aims to build relationships between children and their environment, thus developing an environmental consciousness in later life.