The Challenge
Born from late-night brainstorming and a shared determination to tackle two pressing issues—Egypt’s pervasive air pollution and the growing problem of textile waste—this project represents a step toward sustainable innovation.
The concept was simple yet ambitious: What if discarded fabrics could be repurposed to clean the air?
Our Solution
We collected old lab coats and cotton shirts from classmates, transforming them into a four-layer filtration system. The design leverages:
- Polyester’s electrostatic properties to attract dust
- Cotton’s fine weave to trap particles
- Plastic frames to ensure structural integrity
The result is a low-cost prototype, built for just 1,795 EGP (~$60), using Arduino sensors and a fan sourced from a local fishing shop.
Personal Impact
For me, this project is deeply personal. This filter isn’t just a school assignment—it’s proof that even humble materials, like discarded fabric, can become tools for change when paired with scientific rigor and persistence.
Key Takeaway
This work highlights how sustainable innovation can address intertwined environmental and health crises. By repurposing textile waste, we’ve shown that scalable solutions don’t always require grand budgets—just creativity, iteration, and a willingness to rethink “trash.”
Skills Developed
- Sustainable Engineering
- Air Quality Monitoring
- Air Filtration Design
- Arduino & Sensor Integration
- Material Science & Textile Engineering
- Cross-functional Collaboration