Reduce, Re-use, Re-road

B49CJ Sustainable Development & Engineering Management

Group 6
Count: 3,822
Senior Course Leader: Prof Reza Mohammadi

Figure Maker's Market, Maker's Valley1, Maker's Market, Makers Valley Figure Victoria Yards, Maker's Valley2,
Victoria Yards, Makers Valley

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Context................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Project Brief ................................................................................................................................................. 4
History of Area ............................................................................................................................................. 6

1
 Challenges & Barriers in the Community .................................................................................................... 6
Our Goals ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
Design & Justification......................................................................................................................................... 8
Initial Design Concepts ................................................................................................................................ 8
Design Matrix .............................................................................................................................................. 9
PESTLE Analysis.......................................................................................................................................... 10
SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 11
UN Sustainable Development ................................................................................................................... 11
Engineering Solution ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Process & Machinery ................................................................................................................................. 13
Separation ................................................................................................................................................. 15
Shredding & Cleaning ................................................................................................................................ 16
Asphalt Integration .................................................................................................................................... 16
Community Integration and Education ....................................................................................................... 16
Reward Centers ......................................................................................................................................... 16
Workshops ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Employment Opportunities ....................................................................................................................... 17
Phone Line ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Cost Analysis ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Bill of Materials.......................................................................................................................................... 18
Potential Funding Sources ......................................................................................................................... 19
Ethical, Social & Sustainability Analysis .......................................................................................................... 20
Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................................... 20
Health & Safety Considerations ................................................................................................................. 22
Cradle-to-Grave Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 22
Three Pillars of Sustainability .................................................................................................................... 24
One Year Plan ................................................................................................................................................... 24
Potential Improvements .................................................................................................................................. 26
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................... 26

2
Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... 27
References ........................................................................................................................................................ 28
Meeting Agendas....................................................................................................................................... 31
Individual Contributions................................................................................................................................... 49

Abstract
Makers Valley, a once flourishing area for factories and construction, has fallen into an economic
decline and residents struggle for employment and the area is struggling to modernize. Despite
a hint of promise with the areas creative artwork and bustling market stalls, the area struggles
to keep its streets clean and roads well maintained.

Our project “Reduce, Re-use, Re-road”, aims to tackle the waste problem in the area by giving
the community a clear reason why plastic recycling is important and allow them to see swift
results by repairing their roads with our plastic asphalt.

3
Context
Project Brief
“This design challenge is not about doing what you are told or finding a ‘right’ answer to a
predefined problem. You are designing for the purpose of improving people’s livelihoods
and environmental systems…”

- [1]

The focus of this project is to create a solution aligning with any of the eight challenge areas -
Built Environment, Food, Water, Transport, Energy, Digital, Waste, and Sanitation – to improve
the day-to-day lives of those in Makers Valley, Johannesburg. The project aims to produce an
innovative, sustainable, community-focused solution to foster global responsibility among
future engineers.

4
History of the Area

Makers Valley is in the south-east of Johannesburg, shown by the red shape. Makers Valley
began development in the 19th century during the early stages of the industrial era. This led to
many industrial buildings, such as factories and warehouses, being constructed in the area,
most noticeably Victoria Yards. In the 20th century, neighbourhoods began to spring up in the
Makers Valley, prompting the construction of houses and apartment buildings. As production
entered the modern age, digital methods of production were introduced. As Makers Valley
failed to adapt, it fell behind, and factories became empty.

In modern-day Makers Valley, the area contributes to the makers’ movement. This is a cultural
movement where individualism is celebrated, as many goods are handmade in the area.
Unfortunately, this means that goods aren’t mass-produced, leading to low sales and low
income for the manufacturers. This has lead to urban decay in the area and a high
unemployment rate. Makers Valley has a strong community spirit, and it is beginning to make a
comeback. The valley has become a culturally rich area with many new social enterprises
becoming active.

5
Makers Valley has a current population of 46,000 people, with 60% being born outside of South
Africa. This majority is what makes Makers Valley so diverse.

Figure 4, Statistics on the demographics in Maker’s Valley

Challenges & Barriers in the Community

• Transport- Maker’s Valley has poor road conditions, making driving difficult. Many roads
are poorly maintained and have numerous potholes. Cars are uncommon due to the
high prices, but cycling isn't feasible due to poor conditions.
• Waste- Maker’s Valley has poor waste management, meaning many litter. Large piles of
rubbish gather on street corners, leading to vermin infestations. A large amount of waste
left on the street is plastic, which is harmful to the environment and is often burned,

6
 creating toxic fumes. Recycling is not a major concern to the community, meaning it is
disregarded and harms the local wildlife and the planet.

As a group, we decided to tackle the waste issue in the area. The illegal dumping in the
Valley is out of control with many street corners ruined by piles of rubbish.

Figure 7, Waste in Makers Valley Figure 6, Waste in Makers Valley

Figure 5, Street Corner in Makers Valley

Rubbish bins in the area often end up overflowing and creating more litter. Makers Valley has no
clear recycling instructions as currently their focus is to reduce litter. By introducing plastic
recycling, it will reduce waste and make the streets cleaner.

As a result of the large piles of waste in the area many people turn to burning the rubbish. Doing
this creates a safety risk to those in the area as the fire may spread, especially with the hot dry
climate in South Africa. Burning certain types of rubbish can also create dangerous fumes and a
disgusting Odor. For example, when PVC is burned it creates dioxins, hydrochloric acid,
formaldehyde, phthalates and hydrogen cyanide. These fumes are toxic and can cause harm
when inhaled and damage the environment. [2]

7
 Figure 9, Burning Waste in Makers Valley Figure 8,Waste in Makers Valley

Our Goals
The main goal of this project is to improve the community and living conditions in Maker’s
Valley. This involves creating a sustainable solution to the potholes in the area, expanding job
opportunities, increasing education on climate change and in trade work, and improving the
economic growth of the local community.

We were inspired by the case study of Desiree Beukes, a community leader in Maker’s Valley,
who spoke on the issue of road surface and infrastructure in the community. Speaking to
Engineers Without Borders, she said, “Our roads are so bad now, and you don’t see any
improvement.” [3]. She spoke of previous attempts within the community to fill up potholes and
improve the road surface, which were stopped by the local council due to liability and safety
issues. On top of this, she said building works will often leave large holes in the ground for
weeks on end, posing a serious safety hazard for children playing in the area. Desiree also spoke
on the inextricable link between poverty and low access to education and expressed frustration
at the lack of accessible career opportunities in Maker’s Valley, stating, “Most of the time when
they have vacancies, they will say, ‘experience, grade 12’. What about the ones who never went
through that?” [3].

We aim to provide a cleaner, safer, sustainable, and more accessible urban environment in
Maker’s Valley by simultaneously providing education and job opportunities, improving the road
surface and infrastructure, and recycling plastic on its way to landfill.

Design & Justification

Initial Design Concepts
Our initial design concepts included the following:

8
 • River Filtering barriers to collect floating plastic and waste from the Jukskei River.
• A campaign to introduce a range of recycling bins in the community.
• Turning plastic waste in the community into durable asphalt to reinforce the local roads.
• Tuning plastic waste into bike tyres.

Design Matrix
Table 1, Definitions of parameters

Table 2, Design Matrix

9
PESTLE Analysis

[4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]

10
SWOT Analysis

Figure 10, SWOT Analysis

UN Sustainable Development

Figure 11, UN Sustainable Development Goals

11
Our project has the potential to address 6 of the UN sustainable development goals; [15] these
include:

• Goal 4 – Good Quality Education

In our first year, we will encourage local labourers, apprentices, and young people to
shadow technicians gaining practical knowledge and experience. Later, we aim to
employ them in facilities and offer apprenticeship programs.

• Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

We aim to be a living wage employer, prioritizing safety, local skilled labour and
employee development through upskilling

• Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

We create skilled jobs and promote sustainable infrastructure by using recycled
materials, setting a standard of sustainability in innovation. We improve local transport
infrastructure by safely and durably resurfacing poor road conditions.

• Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

We enhance urban environments by repurposing waste into durable infrastructure,
reducing pollution and supporting safe, sustainable living.
• Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
We reduce reliance on new petroleum products by replacing them with recycled
household plastics in asphalt production. We divert waste from landfills while promoting
a circular economy.
• Goal 13 – Climate Action
By transforming plastic waste into asphalt we cut out carbon emissions and fossil fuel
use while reducing landfill waste and plastic pollution. This dual approach benefits both
the environment and the community.

12
Engineering Solution
Process & Machinery

Process:

There are two processes for incorporating plastics into asphalt: the wet and dry processes. The
dry process was chosen for this project. [16]

In the wet process, melted recycled plastics are added directly to the bitumen, modifying its
properties or partially replacing it. This process requires mechanical mixing for a homogeneous
blend. Plastics used in the wet process typically have a low melting point, such as LLDPE, LDPE,
and HDPE, and can make up 2–8% of the total bitumen mass. [17] [18]

In the dry process, recycled plastics are mixed into hot aggregates. The plastics may replace
aggregates, modify the mixture, or alter the bitumen [17]. For aggregate
replacement, plastics like PET, PS, and PC are used, as they have a higher melting point (> 200°C)
than the asphalt production temperature (150°C). [18]

The dry process is more advantageous than the wet process, allowing for higher plastic content
(up to 15% [17]) and fewer changes in production. Plastics can improve the asphalt's physical
properties, prevent water absorption, and enhance the bitumen's resistance to aging, water
sensitivity, deformation, and cracking. [18]

13
 Figure 12, Plastic to Potholes flow diagram

Figure 13, asphalt production process [18]

The process starts by sorting the recyclable plastics where non-recyclable materials,
contaminants and plastics, which the sorting machinery cannot sort are placed in another tray.

The plastic which is now sorted is then conveyed to the plastic shredder where the plastic is cut
to size, often a flake or chip. This stage is important to minimize the size of the material, so that
proper cleaning and further subsequent processing can be done efficiently. After that, the
shredded plastic goes to the washing line. Here it is washed properly to remove dust, stickers,
and other elements to produce a good quality product.
After washing, the plastic is dried in the drying unit where most of the water is expelled.

14
Finally, they add the dried-up plastic into the bitumen mixer whose temperature is about 150°C.
A mechanical mixer guarantees that the plastic and bitumen mix appropriately to get enhanced
sound binder. [19]

When the plastic-bitumen combination is prepared, it is then moved to the aggregate mixing
chamber. In this stage aggregates such as stones, gravel and sand are incorporated together into
the mix to produce the final product, which is asphalt. The process enables all ingredients to be
well blended to produce a strong and quality asphalt mixture for road construction. [18]

Further, the created asphalt is for the filling line transport [20]. From here it can either be
stocked in tanks for future use, or offloaded in trucks, ready for transportation to construction
areas. [21]

For the machinery required, we decided to rent during the first year as that would be the more
feasible route. The machinery required [20] [22], their individual functions and their estimated
costs have been mentioned below:

1. Sorting Machine (Separator) -

• Function: Separates non-recyclable materials from collected plastics.
2. Plastic Shredders and Granulators -
•Function: To reuse, they cut the plastic waste into smaller quantities, particles, or
granules for further processing.
3. Washing Line -
• Function: It cleans shredded plastic of contaminants.
4. Bitumen Mixer with Plastic-Addition Device
• Function: A mechanical mixing device is used to mix plastic with bitumen at 150°C.
5. Aggregate Mixer:
• Function: Includes stones, gravel and sand in the bitumen mix.
6. Asphalt Filing line:
• Function: The transfer equipment transfers asphalt into storage tanks or containers.

Separation
The collected plastic waste must be cleaned and separated before shredding to smaller pieces.
Therefore, a normal procedure and machinery are used for every plastic recycling process to
separate non-recyclables from plastic. [23]

15
Shredding & Cleaning
The plastic needs to be shredded into pieces of a size of around half a centimetre in diameter or
in a kind of plastic hay. After shredding, the plastic can be cleaned and prepared for further use
in the bitumen mixer.

Asphalt Integration
Asphalt is made of stones, sand, or gravel, and bitumen, which makes up about 10% of the total
mass. Recycled plastics can be added to the bitumen. When asphalt is first laid down, bitumen
releases toxic pollutants, which can be reduced by adding plastics.

The asphalt production process is simple but requires specialized equipment. First, bitumen and
aggregates are mixed at around 150°C until they form a sticky substance. Then, sand/stones and
other materials are added.

The plastic used is obtained from the Reward Centre and the waste collected by PickItUp. The
pure bitumen and the crushed rocks are also supplied by a local company with which a contract
must be negotiated, the same applies to PickItUp.

Community Integration and Education

Reward Centers
Our plastic recycling centres will offer a reward system regarding the donations and
contributions of plastic. Our rewards will be in the form of food stamps which residents of
Maker’s Valley will benefit greatly as they are usually limited to buying only essential items of
food – our food stamps will give them more variety and choice when it comes to their meals.
The funding for the food stamps can come from partnerships with the City of Johannesburg
Metropolitan Municipality or potential profits from the recycling facility's outputs.

Workshops
Educating the residents of Maker’s Valley on the importance of recycling, recycling processes,
and the benefits received from recycling will play a large part in shifting the community into a
proactive recycling mindset. There are various methods to incorporate education on large
scales.

Timbuktu in the Valley is a local community centre in Maker’s Valley that is widely respected in
the community and acts as a hub for workshops and skills development for children and young

16
people. Hosting educational sessions there will teach young people key areas of recycling, which
can create good habits and conventions they will use throughout their lives.

For residents above the age bracket, other methods can be more appealing and accessible. This
can be methods like hosting sessions or stalls at local markets and getting people to engage with
our ideas.

Once our facility is up and running, we would like to allow residents to enter and potentially get
hands-on experience to understand the facility's processes and aims better.

Employment Opportunities

Figure 14, Employment opportunities

Phone Line
This would aim to receive, log and address customer complaints to improve customer
satisfaction and optimise our service. Furthermore, it would allow the locals to report any
potholes found in the area. A specific phone line will be used and toll-free (apart from individual
phone charges). Further into the project lifespan, an email and chat service will be
implemented. Calls will be recorded and logged by CRM software with the caller's permission to
be reviewed during training. A clear disclaimer will be played before each call to ensure the
customer knows they are being recorded.

More jobs will be created through agents being recruited to communicate with customers.
Moreover, they will be trained in good communication and conflict resolution before starting
their job. Others will conduct training in the community with communication and business
expertise. Standard operating procedures will be implemented to guide the agents in resolving
issues efficiently and correctly.

17
The phone line will be promoted through our website and social platforms. Customers will be
asked to provide feedback on the calls to review complaint trends and ensure they are handled
correctly. This feedback will be recorded through word of mouth at the end of the call.
Ultimately, this data will be analysed by the managerial team to improve the company further.

Cost Analysis
Bill of Materials
Table 4, Bill of Materials

Table 5, Bill of Utilities and Equipment

18
When considering setting up in Makers Valley we will look at renting an existing property. A
property in the Benrose area is currently available to rent and would be our targeted building
[24].

Potential Funding Sources

The South African government have a support fund known as “Green Fund” which can be
utilised for our project. The aim of the fund is to aid the introduction of new green initiatives
and help them to develop in South Africa. The fund has an overall pot of R 1.1 billion which is
allocated to different projects. To qualify for the fund the project must have some form of other
funding, other than the green fund, and must be able to be replicated and scaled to work in
other areas of South Africa [25].

19
Ethical, Social & Sustainability Analysis
Ethical Considerations
Accessibility and Inclusivity

Figure 15, 7 Pillars of Universal Design

In line with the 7 Pillars of Universal Design [26], we are committed to a “fair built”
environment, where everyone can use roads independently and safely. Repairs will address a
wide range of user needs like pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists and those with reduced
mobility. For example, dropped curbs/ramps are maintained with tactile paving to ensure safety
and accessibility for all.

Social Mobility and Social Equity

Taking inspiration from the IET’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy [27], we aim to champion
social mobility and equity via:

• Accessible Apprenticeships: We will offer apprenticeship roles within the company to

those without grade 12 education or prior experience.
• Gender Equity: We will aim to encourage female engagement in all roles to champion
gender balance in construction.

20
 • Decent Work: For non-practical roles like phone line agents, we will ensure proper
working hours and living wages, to provide decent and safe jobs for local people.

Preventing Gentrification and Decolonising Engineering

Our project aims to mitigate gentrification by uplifting and empowering residents, utilising their
talents to ensure community welfare. We also champion decolonising engineering by trusting
local people with the placement and installation process, bridging global innovation with local
expertise.

21
Health & Safety Considerations
Table 6, Health and Safety Considerations

Every quarter, a risk assessment should be carried out to manage these health and safety
regulations effectively.

For any minor injuries, first aid boxes must be available, and at least one first aid-trained
personnel should be within the vicinity at one times. For major injuries, call 10111. The state
helpline for Gauteng is 0800535554 for less urgent queries [28].

The staff will be trained in Health and Safety following the laws and regulations in Maker’s Valley
and the first aiders will be required to complete the Uk’s St John Ambulance’s First Aid at Work
course and renew these every three years [29].

Cradle-to-Grave Analysis
Table 7, Cradle to Grave Analysis

22
Figure 16 - Cradle to Grave Diagram

23
Three Pillars of Sustainability

Figure 17, The Three Pillars of Sustainability

Social Sustainability

This project prioritises the community’s overall wellbeing through:

• Job creation and accessible education

• Improved infrastructure
• Community engagement

Economic Sustainability

This project promotes long-term economic benefits through:

• Local economic growth and job market stimulation

• Reduced infrastructure maintenance costs
• Cost efficiency through recycling

Environmental Sustainability

This project significantly reduces environmental impact through:

• Plastic waste management

• Road durability
• Circular economy

One Year Plan

Short Term: Inception – 6 Months

24
The short-term plan focuses on setting up the facility. We will rent a warehouse with rough
dimensions of 15 x 10 x 5 with good ventilation and located in Central/South Makers Valley to
make it accessible to residents but not cause disruption.

Once our facility is up and running, we want to start working with the community immediately
as giving the community access to the site early will help them understand our operation and
how it will benefit them and the community.

Employing mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineers at our site will ensure the site runs
efficiently and the machines used are maintained and kept to a high standard.

We also want to put our asphalt to use on less populated roads so that we can evaluate our
asphalt through functionality testing.

Long term: 6 months – Onwards

After the first 6 months of operation, the next step will be to seek feedback from the community
regarding how our facility works with the community. Similarly, we want feedback from the
workers and engineers.

Our facility will then be upscaled/upgraded to accommodate feedback received with plans to
also expand to multiple site locations. This will allow us to increase our input of recyclable
plastic and output of asphalt.

Employability will play a factor in our long-term plan as we will open job spaces to the public to
create and increase work for residents. An apprenticeship scheme will also be started with the
hopes of sparking longer career opportunities for people who wish to apply.

25
Potential Improvements

Figure 18, Potential Improvements

Conclusion
Our project aims to reduce the waste in Makers Valley while simultaneously helping to improve
the roads. This project is environmentally friendly as it turns plastic waste into long lasting
asphalt which will last for years to come. It will tackle the struggling economy in the area by
providing jobs to those in need and aid the battle against gentrification. The project will cost an
estimated R2.6 million for the first year and can be scaled to benefit more communities in South
Africa.

26
Appendices
Bibliography
[1] PlantDemand. (2023). Asphalt Mix Plant: An Efficient Solution for Road Construction.
[online] Available at: [[Link] (Accessed:
30 October 2024).

[2] [Link]. (2018). Aqua | Transport and Plant [Link] at: [22][h
[21]ttps://[Link]](Accessed: 30 October 2024).

[3] Asphalt Equipment. (2021). Asphalt Equipment in Durban | Africa | Reunion | Seychelles |
Madagascar. Available at: [[Link] (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

[4] [Link]. (2024). Construction machinery and industrial equipement. Available at:
[[Link] (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

[5] Hire, T. (2024). Compaction - Soil & Asphalt | Talisman Hire. [Link]. Available at:
[[Link] (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

27
References

[1 Engineers Without Borders, "Engineering For People Design Challenge 2024-25," 2024.
]

[2 Direct Plastics, "What's in those fumes," 18 Sep 2019. [Online]. Available: ]

[Link]

[3 Engineers Without Borders UK, "Desiree Beukes - Video case study - Engineering for ]
People 2024/25," 2024. [Online]. Available:
[Link]

[4 N. Peyton, "Johannesburg gets new mayor after protests and party deals," Reuters, 16
] Aug 2024. [Online]. Available: [Link]
new-mayor-after-protests-party-deals-2024-08-16/. [Accessed 11 Nov 2024].

[5 3S Media, "Climate action plan for Johannesburg," issuu, Oct 2021. [Online]. Available: ]
[Link] [Accessed 29 Nov 2024].

[6 Statistics Soth Africa, 2024. [Online]. Available: [Link]

]

[7 National Income Dynamics Study, 2024. [Online]. Available:

] [Link] .

[8 City of Johannesburg, "Annual reports and urban development plans," 2024. [Online]. ]
Available: [Link]

[9 Gauteng City-Region Observatory , "Quality of Life Survey," 2024. [Online]. Available: ]

[Link]

[1 UN Hbitat, "World Cities Report," 2020. [Online]. Available: [Link]

0]

[1 South African Police Service, "Crime Statistics," 2024. [Online]. Available: 1]

[Link]

[1 University of Cape Town, "Africe Centre for Cities," 2024. [Online]. Available:
2] [Link]

[1 World Bank, "South Africa Overview," 2023. [Online]. Available: 3]

[Link]

28
[1 WISH Forum, "Waste: a guide to managing waste in healthcare," 2015. [Online].
4] Available: [Link] .

[1 United Nations, "THE 17 GOALS," [Online]. Available: [Link]

5]

[1 A. Rotimi, "Reuse of waste plastic as an additive in asphalt concrete: An overview," 6] June

2022. [Online]. Available:
[Link]
n_additive_in_asphalt_concrete_An_overview.

[1 D. D. M. J. R. Henrique M. Borges Miranda, The influence of recycled plastics added via 7] the
dry process on the properties of bitumen and asphalt mixtures, Elsevier, 2023.

[1 D. m. E. T. D. M. B. Manu Sasidhara, "Using waste plastic on road construction," K4D, 8]

Birmingham, 2019.

[1 British Plastic Federation, "How is plastic recycled? A step-by-step guide to recycling,"

9] 2024. [Online]. Available: [Link]
[Link].

[2 "Asphalt equipment," 2021. [Online]. Available: [Link] 0]

[Accessed 29 November 2024].

[2 Aqua Transport, "Transport and plant hire," 2018. [Online]. Available: 1]

[Link] [Accessed 29 November 2024].

[2 Nicety Machines, "Nicety machines plastic recycling equipment," 2023. [Online].

2] Available: [Link] [Accessed 29
November 2024].

[2 ASG, "Seperation Technologies," ASG, [Online]. Available:

3] [Link]
[Accessed 26 Nov 2024].

[2 property24, "Industrial Property to Rent in Benrose," property24, 19 Nov 2024. [Online].

4] Available:
[Link]
831679&plt=4. [Accessed 28 Nov 2024].

[2 Department of Forrestry, Fisheries and the Environment, "Green Fund," Republic of 5]

South Africa, [Online]. Available: [Link]

29
[2 P. M. Rosa, "Universal and inclusive co-design of the built environment and the 6]
transportation systems," 20 March 2023. [Online]. Available:
[Link]
transportation-systems/.

[2 The Institution of Engineering and Technology, "EDI Strategy," May 2022. [Online]. 7]
Available: [Link]

[2 S. Maunder, "Expatica," Emergency phone numbers in South Afric, 11 Oct 2024.

8] [Online]. Available: [Link]
phone-numbers-in-south-africa-105949/#health. [Accessed 29 Nov 2024].

[2 St John Ambulance, "St John Ambulance," 2024. [Online]. Available:

9] [Link]
work/bookfaw/?srsltid=AfmBOopUarfXeRtbthEUjzqaWNZyjM_XcZpPRw_fwLyQjnAIzhx1gHm
_.

[3 S. Wadha, "rePurpose - Air Pollution by Burning Plastic: How is it Caused?," rePurpose,

0] 1 Aug 2022. [Online]. Available: [Link]
plastic-and-air-pollution.

[3 Sustainability Initiative of South Africa NPC, "SIZA - Envioromental Legislation," SIZA, 1]

[Online]. Available: [Link]

[3 Indeed, "Electrical engineer salary in South Africa," Indeed, 11 Nov 2024. [Online]. 2]
Available: [Link]

[3 McConnel&Associates, "How is asphalt made?," MAC - McConnel&Associates,

3] [Online]. Available: [Link]
asphaltmade/#:~:text=The%20asphalt%20manufacturing%20process%20is,form%20a%20sti
cky%20black%20substance.. [Accessed 20 November 2024].

[3 Direct Plastics, "What's in those fumes," Direct Plastics, 18 Sep 2019. [Online].
4] Available: [Link]

[3 Machinery Line, "Construction machinery and industrial equipment," 2024. [Online].

5] Available: [Link] [Accessed 29 November 2024].

30
Supplementary Figures
Table 8, plastic melting points.

Meeting Agendas
Title: Meeting 1 – General Meet and Great

Location: The Piece Coffee Shop

Date: 19/09/2024
Start End Time Item
13:00 13:05 00:05 Introductions.
13:05 13:10 00:05 Share initial thoughts about the project.

31
 13:10 13:20 00:10 Review the "group internal contract" and decide upon things
such as weekly meeting time, preferred method of
communication etc.
13:20 13:20 00:00 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 2

Location: The GRID

Date: 26/09/2024
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:35 00:35 Discuss and decide upon which challenge area to further
investigate.
12:35 12:50 00:15 Discuss the work to be carried out my team members before
next week’s meeting.
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

32
Title:

Location:

Date:
Meeting 3

The GRID
3/10/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:35 00:35 Ideas to be shared from research done after the previous
meeting.
12:35 12:50 00:15 Discuss the work to be carried out my team members before
next week’s meeting.
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 4

Location: The GRID

Date: 10/10/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:35 00:35 Share section of PESTEL analysis
12:35 12:50 00:15 Complete SWOT analysis on different ideas and decide which
one to pursue
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Meeting 5

The GRID
17/10/24
Start End Time Item

33
Title:

Location:

Date:
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introduction
12:05 12:50 00:45 Format report
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 6

Location: The GRID

Date: 24/10/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:50 00:45 Discussing idea of bins and river filters
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 1 with Reza

Location: EM 2.03

Date: 28/10/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 13:00 00:55 Share initial ideas with Reza.
13:00 13:05 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
13:05 13:10 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Meeting 7

34
Title:

Location:

Date:
The GRID
31/10/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:35 00:35 Ideas for engineering solution
12:35 12:50 00:15 Ideas for plastic and asphalt
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 2 with Reza

Location: EM 2.03

Date: 7/11/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:50 00:15 Discuss the final plan with Prof Reza Mohammadi
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from the previous meeting.
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude the meeting.

Title: Meeting 8

Location: The GRID

Date: 14/11/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:35 00:35 Finalising plastic asphalt idea
12:35 12:50 00:15 Splitting up further research
12:50 12:55 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.

35
Title:

Location:

Date:
12:55 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

36
Title: Meeting 9

Location: The GRID

Date: 21/11/24
Start End Time Item
12:00 12:05 00:05 Introductions.
12:05 12:50 00:45 Finalise the PowerPoint presentation
12:50 12:55 00:05 Submit presentation
12:55 13:00 00:05 Review minutes from previous meeting.
13:00 13:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Title: Meeting 10

Location: The GRID

Date: 26/11/24
Start End Time Item
10:00 10:05 00:05 Introductions.
10:05 13:00 02:55 Practise presentation.
13:00 13:30 00:30 Lunch break
13:30 13:55 00:25 Final presentation practise.
13:55 14:00 00:05 Conclude meeting.

Meeting Minutes
Title: Meeting 1 – General Meet and Great

Location: The Piece Coffee Shop

Date: 19/09/2024

Attendees: Cameron, Jan, Magnus, Taha

37
Title:

Location: The GRID

Date:
Item Comments
Introduction All team members in attendance introduced
themselves.
Share initial thoughts about the project. Initial vague ideas where shared between
team members such as looking at water,
waste and transport. These were just initial
ideas that the group thought we could
investigate further.
Review the "group internal contract" and The group agreed WhatsApp to be the main
decide upon things such as weekly form of communication, using email as a
meeting time, preferred method of secondary for sharing documents. A weekly
communication etc. meeting time of 12:00-13:00 on a Thursday
was agreed and later confirmed with
members not in attendance.

Conclude meeting Meeting was concluded and team members

parted.

Meeting 2

26/09/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a br

38
Discuss and decide upon which challenge area The group pre
to further investigate. challenge area
before the me
work to impro
Makers Valley
further investi
Makers Valley
areas (illegal d
etc).

Discuss the work to be carried out my team The group dec

members before next week’s meeting. delegate certa
members. Jan
bottle banks,
investigate the
and Kirsty wer
solve the litte
Valley, the Juk
into how to ed
Valley about t
area clean. As
ideas will late
meeting.

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes w

group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was c
parted.

39
Title:

Location: The GRID

Date:
Meeting 3

3/10/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up. Alex introduced
herself as it was her first in-person meeting.

Ideas to be shared from research done after Team members all shared their research from
the previous meeting previous meeting. After everyone shared their
ideas, we discussed various solutions to each
problem and agreed to carry out a SWOT
analysis in the next meeting to decide upon
which idea to carry forward.

Discuss the work to be carried out my team The team decided to complete a PESTEL of
members before next week’s meeting. Makers Valley to further analyse the area and
help narrow down our ideas by seeing what
the community needed the most. Each group
member was given a different
section of the PESTEL analysis to investigate.

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Meeting 4

40
Title:

Location: The GRID Date:

10/10/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Share section of PESTEL analysis Each team member shared their section of
the PESTEL analysis. The information was
collated into a table for ease of reading and to
be included in the report.
Complete SWOT analysis on different ideas A SWOT analysis was done for our 4 main
and decide which one to pursue ideas, see report, and different areas were
considered such as number of SDGs and the
longevity of the idea. As a team we agreed to
further investigate recycling plastic and
repurposing it to become plastic asphalt for
road construction. Jan and Kirsty headed up
the research on the process of turning
recycled plastic into plastic asphalt. Alex and
Taha looked into the process of recycling
plastic and which machines are necessary.
Magnus and Cameron looked into integrating
the idea into the community by looking at
engagement and further into the current
state of roads in Makers Valley.

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

41
Title:

Location: The GRID

Date:

Meeting 5

17/10/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Format report The headings were set up for the report to
allow the team to begin to fill in sections.
Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Title: Meeting 6

Location: The GRID

Date: 24/10/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Discussing idea of bins and river filter Going in depth to find advantages and
disadvantages of bins river filters at makers
valley,
And how to implement them in a daily base,
Idea to discuss plans with Reza the following
week

42
Title:

Location: The GRID Date:

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

43
Title:

Location:

Date:
Meeting 1 with Prof Reza
Mohammadi

EM 2.03

28/10/2024

Attendees: Cameron, Jan, Magnus, Kirsty, Alex

Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up, introductions to
Reza
Share initial ideas with Prof We shared our initial ideas with Reza that
Reza Mohammadi were put into our SWOT analysis. Reza
encourage us to go into greater detail about
the process of recycling plastic. Discussed
about implementing a shortterm plan and
how to develop that into a sustainable
solution long term. Discussed community
engagement and how to ensure the
community recycle and understand why
recycling is important.

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Meeting 7

31/10/2024

44
Title:

Location: The GRID Date:

Attendees: Cameron, Jan, Magnus, Taha, Kirsty, Alex

Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Ideas for engineering solution Discussing different possibilities of using
recycled plastic
Idea for plastic and asphalt Going into further research about plastic
asphalt, discussing advantages and
disadvantages,
Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Meeting 2 Meeting Prof Reza

Mohammadi

EM 2.03

7/11/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.

45
Title:

Location:

Date:
Discuss final plan with Reza We shared our final idea for our project.
Shared details with Reza about the process
and our initial plans on how to implement our
design. Reza was liked the idea and encourage
us to go into detail about maintaining the
machine and how to ensure the community
would take to it. We discussed how to make
sure the residents of Makers Valley were able
to report an issue with our project to further
the engagement.

Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Meeting 8

14/11/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Finalising plastic asphalt idea Team decided to go with the dry process to
implement plastic in the asphalt

46
Title:

Location: The GRID Date:

Splitting up further research Process: Jan, Alex

Machinery and costs: Taha
History of makers valley area: Cameron
Magnus: Education site for recycling
Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Meeting 9

The GRID

21/11/2024

Attendeess:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Finalise the PowerPoint presentation The presentation slides made since the last
meeting were finalised. The team referenced
the marking criteria to ensure our
presentation reached all targets set.
Submit presentation The presentation was confirmed complete
and was submitted within the deadline.
Review minutes from previous meeting. The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

Title: Meeting 10

47
Title:

Location:

Date:
Location: The GRID

Date: 26/11/2024

Attendees:
Item Comments
Introduction Team had a brief catch up.
Practise presentation Team practise presentation multiple times.
Changes were made to ensure we were
within the time limit.
Lunch break Team broke for lunch.
Final presentation practise The minutes were shared via the WhatsApp
group chat.
Conclude meeting. Meeting was concluded and team members
parted.

48
Individual Contributions
Kirsty …………
This was a really interesting project to be a part of and such a competent and
friendly group of students to work with. My main focus was on the ethical and
sustainable considerations of the project, as well as leading the project analysis.
For project analysis, I successfully completed the Design Matrix, SWOT analysis,
Sustainable Development Goals analysis and potential improvements sections.
Collaborating with my peers to refine their technical ideas, ensuring the project
remained practical, balanced and comprehensive was a great experience in
strategic planning and project evaluation.
When working on the ethical and sustainable considerations of this project, I
successfully completed the Pillars of Sustainability, Cradle to Grave, Ethical
Considerations and Employment Opportunities sections. This was a really eye-
opening look into how engineering projects can be designed and implemented to
address both technical and challenges, as well as social equity, environmental
sustainability and economic stability.
I really appreciated the opportunity to read through the EWB materials and watch
the interviews with locals. Desiree Beukes’ testimony was specifically touching
and went on to inspire the growth and development of our whole project,
ensuring we remained focused on addressing real community needs and creating
meaningful change.
This project has been both and eye opening introduction to global citizenship and
engineering for good, but also an incredibly rewarding experience to work as part
of such a kind, collaborative and fun group of students. I feel we worked really
well together as a group, in both weekly meetings, project development and the
final presentation. Our strong communication and work ethic allowed us to not
only create a successful project, but a friendship as well. I’ve really enjoyed being
a part of team 6.

49
Cameron ………
I thoroughly enjoyed this EWB project, from receiving the initial brief to finalising
the report. Being part of an amazing team further improved my experience and
made the work feel like fun. I focused on looking at the area of Makers Valley and
how to engage the community with our project, ensuring it was welcome with
open arms. When deciding upon which issue to tackle in the area I dug deep into
what the current state of the area was like and how it could be improved to
benefit the residents. In the PESTLE analysis I explored the environmental section,
allowing me to further my knowledge of the issue even further.
As a team we worked very well with everyone regularly attending meetings and
engaging with each other, both in person and on our group WhatsApp. We all got
along a gained a strong friendship with one another. The workload was split
evenly meaning everyone contributed and worked towards the goal of a
successful project. When collating our information into the report everyone
worked together on different sections, this allowed us to complete multiple parts
of the report simultaneously. When presenting everyone was very professional
and discussed their sections well. In the presentations I discussed the background
information of Makers Valley and how we planned to integrate our project into
the community.
EWB has been an excellent project and allowed me to apply my engineering skills
in a real-life environment. I have thoroughly enjoyed this course as it allowed me
to work with students from different disciplines and all had varied knowledge. I
have enjoyed being part of team 6.

Taha ……….
This project was quite an interesting one to accomplish since it involved both
technical analysis and real-life problems. My major tasks in the project were to
create the concept and specifications of a process and machinery for recycling

50
plastic and incorporation it into asphalt manufacture as well as approximate costs
of the machinery and possible sources of the machinery. This work entailed
studying the dry process for the creation of plastic asphalt, which entails sorting,
shredding, cleaning as well as blending of plastics and aggregates. I carried out a
thorough evaluation of the machinery needs including shredders of plastics,
mixers of bitumen and aggregates among others then I went for an option of
leasing to make it possible to have the best machine during a time when you are
simply establishing yourself. Through discussions with the suppliers, I defined
projects sources of the machinery and material requirements that will make the
foundation for sustainable scalability of the project.
One thing I have learned from this project is how true it is that coordination
within a team is key especially in ensuring that the technical aspects fit well with
the campaigning strategies in the community. I really appreciated that our entire
group showed up weekly for meetings and distributed the workload efficiently.
The group’s passion for engineering a socially aware solution encouraged me to
devote my energy wholeheartedly to the cause and guarantee that our approach
was both functional and fit Makers Valley’s needs.
In general, I liked the strong teamwork put in by our group, structured process and
clear passion for this kind of work. This boosted my appreciation for engineering
for sustainable development as well as made me more passionate about seeing
designs that can positively impact a community. It was a delight to be a part of
and work with group 6, everyone really gave it their all and I loved being part of
such a refreshing and hardworking group.
Jan ……….
For this EWB Project, my main part was doing the research about the process we
need for the plastic asphalt, as I found out about plastic asphalt while we all did
some research in what to do with the recycled plastic. Before that, we split up the
research about the area, for example the pestle analysis, where everyone did one
part of it.
I was well welcomed by my group, and it was a great experience to work with
them for the project, as working with the group felt like working with friends. As I

51
am not a native speaker, they also helped me in difficult pronunciations, especially
in preparation and practicing our presentation. Except of some Scottish colloquial
language, I learned that you need to approach the challenges in projects by
various angles to be able to overcome them.
It was a good idea from the team to set up weekly meetings to not postpone the
work until the very end of the semester, which also gave us time to put in some
early work, especially for the research about the area.
The EWB project gave me a very good insight into working to solve an existing
project while using the knowledge and skills learned previously. I really enjoyed
working for and with team 6.
Alex ……….
I thoroughly enjoyed this project because of the lovely team I was a part of as well
as the creative freedom to produce a project we were invested in. My main focus
for this project was researching the social parameters in Makers Valley, developing
the outline for a phone line and the health and safety factors included in our
project.
The process of researching the social side of Makers Valley for our PESTLE analysis
was incredibly interesting, and learning about other ways of life was fascinating.
Investigating a solution to the issues in the area from an engineering perspective I
believe will be useful in my future employment. I did this by analysing statistics
online and in the EWB materials about various areas, including population, life
span and crime rates. I then discussed these statistics with the group to come up
with designs that may accommodate the possible areas of improvement in
Makers Valley.
Additionally, I found researching the health and safety areas enjoyable as I used to
be a first aid instructor, and this area is fascinating to me. Furthermore, I have
learnt a multitude of new things while carrying out this project, such as how
phone lines work, how plastic is recycled, and the community dynamic in Makers
Valley. All of which has been greatly beneficial to me. I feel like our group has
worked together extremely well, and I’ve loved becoming friends with my peers.

52
Everyone was patient with each other, encouraging and supportive of new ideas
and this pushed us all to strive for our best within this project. I’ve greatly enjoyed
being part of Team 6.
Magnus ……….
The EWB project was a very interesting project to take part in and very enjoyable.
It allowed me to develop some key skills regarding teamwork, research, planning,
financing and project development. Working with a team, we all had our skills
which we were able to combine to create a well-grounded project. I believe the
team worked very effectively and efficiently.
I created a lot of written notes that I would share with the team via our WhatsApp
group chat and our weekly, in-person meetings which to make sure everyone was
up to speed and coordinated for any next steps. The weekly meetings were very
effective for researching, discussing and planning our project and the in-person
aspect of it made it an effective way of communicating and collaborating.
When creating the presentation and the report I feel the team acted diligently and
effectively and managed to really culminate all our effort into a concrete form and
I think the final report and presentation shows our hard work. When preparing for
the presentation we rehearsed a lot in the grid. I feel like the rehearsals were a
good idea as they gave us a chance to hear our ideas out loud and understand our
project better. I personally enjoyed presenting our project as I was very proud of
our work and the project itself, and I feel everyone gave 100% performance. The
final report of the project was created in week 7 which gave us ample time to
flesh out our ideas and plans and put it on to paper. Overall, I am very happy with
team 6’s efforts, I am very proud of my work and the rest of the team’s work and
would gladly work with team 6 again.

53
 PART 2 - INTERNAL GROUP CONTRACT & APPROVAL

This part is to be submitted in the appendices of the Group's final report.

To ensure that all Group members have participated in the assignment, each must declare their
level of contribution to the project. This is not based on the number of tasks completed, but
more contribution to the Group and completion of the assignment.

The level of contribution will be allocated to the marks. For example, if all Group members have
contributed fully to the project, then each member’s level of contribution will be 100% and all
members will receive the full awarding marks gained. However, if one Group member has only
contributed 50% of the project and this is agreed by all Group members, that Group member will
only receive 50% of the awarded marks gained, whilst other members will receive the full 100%.
See example.

Each Group member must add their details to this form, and this must be included in the
appendix of the final project report. It is up to the Group to discuss and agree on contribution,
but if no agreement can be made, the Edinburgh Groups must contact Reza Mohammadi to
arbitrate a meeting prior to submission.

Group Number Group 6

Group member Full Name Group Level of Signature

member Contribution
Matriculation %
Number
Cameron ………. 100% Cameron
H00398056 ……….
Jan ……… H00486000 100% Jan ………
Kirsty ………. H00399046 100% Kirsty
……….
Magnus ………. H00397084 100% Magnus
……….

54
Alex ………. H00397148 100% Alex
……….
Taha ………. H00458942 100% Taha
……….

55