Empowering Future Engineers through Sustainability and Innovation

The Department of Mechanical Engineering students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) recently embarked on an eye-opening industrial tour

focused on the transformation of plastic waste into valuable, market-ready products.

This immersive experience was designed to deepen their academic understanding of recycling, sustainable manufacturing, and smart fabrication technologies. And it delivered!

The students were taken through several key stages of production:

• Collection – Gathering post-consumer  plastics from diverse sources

• Sorting – Streamlining processing by material type

• Crushing – Breaking materials into manageable fragments

• Washing – Methodical cleaning before reprocessing

• Pelletizing – Transforming flakes into reusable plastic pellets

• Fabrication – Creating new products like chairs, tables, basins, buckets, jerrycans, packaging solutions and much more.

CNC Machine Showcase

A standout moment was the live demonstration of Computer Numerical Control (CNC)

machining where students watched digital designs transform into precise physical components. They explored programming principles like G-code and observed how automation and design converge in modern manufacturing.

Key Highlights & Takeaways:

• Real-time insight into the circular economy

• Hands-on interaction with industrial machinery

• Understanding the full lifecycle of sustainable products

• Valuable Q&A with engineers and plant operators

• Practical links between classroom theory and real-world application

From awe at the transformation of waste into usable products, to inspiration drawn from automation and product diversity, the tour sparked renewed interest in impactful careers across: Green technology, Industrial design & prototyping, Waste management innovation, Environmental engineering

This experience was more than just an excursion. It was a powerful reminder that local innovation holds the key to sustainable solutions and a cleaner future.