A final year student in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Kaduna State University (KASU), Aisha Ishaq, has developed a way to recycle polyethene waste into candle wax.
Ishaq unveiled her research result in Kaduna on Thursday at the maiden exhibition organised by the university to promote research among academics and researchers.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that her research used water polyethene sachets to produce the candle wax.
According to her, the effort was to clean up the environment, as polythene water sachets litter virtually every community in the country.
Ishaq explained that the research converted the polyethene waste into useful form to reduce the level of plastic waste in the environment.
“One of the environmental issues in most communities in the country is the large number of polyethylene waste made from polyethylene water sachets deposited in domestic wastes and landfills.
“When you look around you, what you will see littering the environment are these water sachet wastes and I decided to do something about it to keep the environment clean,” the student said.
She further said that she needed financial support to secure approval from relevant regulatory bodies to enable her to begin mass production of the candle wax.
Earlier, Dr Aliyu Adamu, Deputy Director, Directorate of Research and Development, KASU, said that the exhibition was to promote the spirit of research among academics to solve societal problems.
Adamu said that the exhibition provided an opportunity for researchers from the university, other academics and research institutions to showcase their findings and share experiences.
Professor Muhammad Tanko, KASU vice chancellor, described research as a critical component of the roles of any university, which had been neglected over the years.
Tanko added that the exhibition was part of the institution’s efforts to revive research among academics in the quest to provide solutions to societal problems.
