We have all seen them. Thin, blue and orange “sticks” of plastic laying in the snow along the edge of South Dakota State University campus sidewalks. These “sticks” are bristles from snow removal sweepers used by Facilities and Services, Residential Life, and Athletics. While the sweepers are easy to use, effective, and help remove snow from hard-to-clear places, the litter and microplastic pollution they generate are troublesome.
Plastics have been shown to have negative effects on both the environment and human health. They block waterways, are mistaken for food by animals, and leach toxic chemicals. There is even growing evidence that microplastics, plastics that have broken down to less than five millimeters in diameter, are in the air we breathe and the food we eat, negatively affecting our health.
With these concerns in mind, SDSU Facilities and Services started looking for alternative snow removal options during the summer of 2022 researching other options and speaking with other snow-laden universities. No reasonable solution was available, and it was found that other universities faced similar frustrations to the endless piles of plastic bristles. They too were eager to find a solution.
With no current solution available, Facilities and Services’ Sustainability Specialist, Jennifer McLaughlin, and Ground’s Supervisor, Ryan Hoffman, pitched this issue as a project idea to Douglas Prairie, an Instructor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. To Facilities and Services’ delight, two of his ABE 411/422 ABE Capstone Design students stepped up to take on this challenge for their senior design project.
Since this fall, Anna Prchal and Marcella Reese, both Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering majors, have been diligently researching alternative bristle material that meets both sustainability criteria yet offers the durability and functionality needed for effective snow removal. Using locally sourced corn, soy, wheat, and wood as the base material, a biodegradable and compostable bioplastic will be added for stability and durability to make the bristles.
After creating the new bristles through an extrusion process, Prchal and Reese will run the bristles against a belt sander to test durability. In addition, the bristles will be exposed to simulated SD weather extremes to ensure they function properly in both cold and hot temperatures and wet conditions. Furthermore, the current plastic bristles used will go through the same tests to provide a research-based comparison.
Facilities and Services is excited to sponsor this step of the project. Not only would solutions benefit sustainability efforts right here at SDSU, but also across the country all while providing premier, hands-on educational experiences for our students. It is a win-win for SDSU!
While no new, sustainable sweeper will be driving across campus next winter as many more research steps are necessary to reach commercial functionality, Prchal and Reese’s research project will offer critical insight into new potential bristle materials making a more sustainable snow sweeper one step closer to reality.
In the meantime, pick up the blue and orange bristles you see lying on campus and toss them in the trash (or upcycle them into a neat project!).
Categories: South Dakota, Rural Lifestyle