B.C. teens turn invasive berries, food waste into paper in prestigious youth science fair

Two British Columbian teenagers have invented new uses for an invasive fruit and food waste, that could secure them some significant prize money in a science competition featuring innovative youth from B.C. and the Yukon.

Nicholas Creanga, 14, attends the Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning and, after turning the Himalayan blackberry plant into paper, has earned himself a semi-finalist spot in the 2023 Youth Innovation Showcase.

In itsfifth year, thevirtual competition highlights projects by youth age12 to 19that use science to solve a challenge in their community.

There are two age categories under age 15 and under age 19 and the winner of each receives $5,000.

The Early Edition6:59Turning blackberry thickets and food waste into paper

Two local high school students have created processes for making paper out of blackberry thickets and food waste for a provincial science competition.

Concerned about the environment, Creanga turned his attention to plant waste. It was trial and error at first.

"I decided to take leaf litter and make it into compostable bricks, but I found out that leaf litter actually helps by providing new plants with nutrients, so I couldn't do that," said Creanga, speaking to Stephen Quinn, host of CBC's The Early Edition on Wednesday morning.

So he started looking for a problem plant and realized the Himalayanblackberry, that is ubiquitous across many sites in Metro Vancouver and the province, could be the solution to his problem.

According to the Invasive Species Council of B.C., the berry, which was introduced from Armenia and Northern Iran, crowds out low-growing native vegetation and can create such dense thickets it limits the movement of large animals.

WATCH| Nicholas Creanga explains his paper-making process:

B.C. teen explains how to turn invasive blackberries into writing paper

12 months ago

Duration 0:47

Nicholas Creanga , 14, is a semi-finalist in the Youth Innovation Showcase, a science competition for youth in B.C. and the Yukon.

By cutting some of these invasive plants,thenboiling, blending and moulding them, Creangawas able to make paper.

"It worked very well," said Creanga. "I'm hoping that Ican scale it up after I get some people that I can do it with."

The prize money could help with that.

Inspired by The Office

Another semi-finalist, Margo Senchenko who is in Grade 10 and attends the same Surrey school was inspired by a popular television sitcom for her competition entry:paper made from food waste.

"I was watching The Office," said Senchenko with a chuckle.

The mockumentary comedy is set in an American workplace where employees slog through the daily grind of selling paper products at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

WATCH| Margo Senchenko on turning food waste into paper:

Teen science fair competitor inspired by The Office sitcom

12 months ago

Duration 1:56

Grade 10 student Margo Senchenko, from Surrey, B.C., says she's hoping to shake up the paper industry.

The show, said Senchenko, got her thinking how bad the paper industry is for the environment while also still being profitable in the digital age. This inspired her to invent a paper that, rather than creating waste, was created from it.

"So kind of justfinding that middle ground ofwhere I can like make something ina successful industry,but also that is not as harmful to the environment," she said on CBC's The Early Edition.

Her paper is made by boiling food waste in an alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfideto break down the produce waste into pulp. She has been able to turn one pound of waste into enough pulp for ten sheets of paper.

Senchenkois thrilled her paper is being considered by competition judges and would like to eventually scale up and expand into packaging materials as well.

"I have been working on this project for over a year and to just seeits potential, it's alsoreally meaningful and to see that people are interested isa very big thing for me," said Senchenko.

Both Creanga and Senchenko are currently semi-finalists. The competition finalists will be announced on Nov.6 and winners will be awarded their prizes on Nov.29.

To keep an eye out on how the competition goes, visit the Youth Innovation Showcase website.