2 Execptional Learners Bag Gold Medals at Tunisia Science Festival for Innovative Bioplastic Research

• Two brilliant scientists from the Cape Town Regional Expo are making waves with their research on biodegradable plastics
• Joseph Gibbon and Mathew Redfern from Pinelands High School earned gold medals at the International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia
• The Grade 12 learners won the opportunity to go to the global science fair after winning gold in the Eskom Expo International Science Fair in December 2022

TUNISIA - Two young scientists from Cape Town have earned gold medals at the International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia (IFEST2).

Grade 12 learners Joseph Gibbon and Mathew Redfern wowed judges at the prestigious science festival with their innovative research on reducing pollution from plastic.

Plastic waste places a considerable burden on the environment and the delicate ecosystems in the ocean.

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According to Daily Maverick, about 14 million tonnes of plastic pollute marine ecosystems yearly, finding their way into lakes, rivers and seas.

Gold medal-winning young scientists make their own bioplastics

Through their study titled Comparing and evaluating different types of bioplastic polymers – an investigation into bioplastics, the duo made their own bioplastics from starch, gelatine and fish scales.

As the name indicates, bioplastics are plastic made from biological substances, which are more biodegradable than ordinary plastics.

Gibbon and Redfern also tested the plastics' strength and how easily they degraded in addition to solubility, flammability and thermal properties.

The innovative study was also deemed one of the top 10 projects of the entire festival.

Grade 12 scientists make impression at Eskom Expo International Science Fair

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The brainy duo first made waves with their bioplastic research at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) in December 2022, where they also bagged gold.

According to a media statement sent to Briefly News by the Eskom science expo, their stellar performance at the Eskom science fair earned Gibbon and Redfern the opportunity to show their research to the world and represent South Africa at the IFEST2.

2 South African Grade 12 learners score top awards at Taiwan International Science Fair

In a related story, Briefly News reported that two brilliant young minds put South Africa on the map by winning prestigious awards at the 2023 Taiwan International Science Fair (TISF).

Jaco Jacobs and Dia Singh captivated judges with their research projects and brought home second and third-place awards.

The two geniuses participated in the fair through the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, allowing SA learners to present their research to peers from other countries.

Source: Briefly News