Eliza Roesler

Caitlin Dwyer

Initial Proposal: Water Bubbles

Background

Currently, there are 315 billion pounds of plastic waste in the ocean. This is a huge
problem, because it strains wildlife, and pollutes a natural resource we so desperately
rely on. Our project, “Water Bubbles”, aims to help fix that. Our senior capstone project
would be to create a biodegradable / edible water bottle, so that we can reduce the
46,000 pieces of plastic bottles that float in the ocean today. The two main ingredients
that the edible bottle would consist of is sodium alginate (found in seaweed), and
calcium lactate (found in baking powder). The calcium lactate is used in
reverse-spherification, which gives it the “bubble” look. The sodium alginate gives it the
“gel” texture, which makes for a bubble of water that can be safely eaten or composted.

Objectives

1) Identify the engineering issue & current product weaknesses

2) Compile significant background research about the product
3) Specify the requirement of a project, estimate figures (costs etc…)
4) Design and evaluate project proposals and select the best solution
5) Do a complete material analysis to find:
a) Relative strength
b) Time to decompose
c) Manufacturing constraints
d) Forms it comes in
e) Price
f) Use / quantity of product
6) Develop a prototype of the best product design
7) Hold prototype testing sessions and survey the public.
8) Analyze results and data
9) If statistics show an unfavorable response to the design:
a) Review information and project procedure
b) Make changes to improve the design
10)If statistics show a positive majority response:
a) Communicate results and officialize the final product
11)Present project to panel of judges
Eliza Roesler
Caitlin Dwyer

Broader Scope

Our final goal for this project is to create a biodegradable water bottle that would reduce
plastic and pollution in the world and improve upon the prototypes that are already out.
Our main focus will be on creating a sturdier shell for the water that will be able to be
transported and given out in activities like marathon races. We will also look into other
possible liquids to go into the “bubbles” like medicine or vitamins, that will be more
appealing to kids. Over all, we want our final product to be more diverse, sturdier, and
appealing than the preexisting designs.

Timeframe

Phase Task Deadline

1 Project Proposal December 14th, 2018
2 Research February 15th, 2019
3 Product Construction March 20th, 2019
4 Final Product May 21st, 2019

Project Budget

The cost of this project will be fairly cheap. The only two materials we need to buy are
the calcium lactate and the sodium alginate. They are both $19.95 for 14 ounces and 16
ounces, respectively. This ensures we have more than enough for all of our tests and
final product, as only a few grams of each are needed for each batch, which produces
water bubbles that contain five cups of water.

Development Process

● Research and study the problem: We will research into the significant problems
plastic has on our planet, and how long it takes to biodegrade. We will also
research into the already existing prototypes and their pros and cons. We will use
these pros and cons to help us construct our own model.
Eliza Roesler
Caitlin Dwyer

● Design: After researching, we will create the design of our product.

● Prototyping: We will create a sample of our product using the calcium lactate and
sodium alginate formula, and test its durability and gage its usefulness.
● Surveying: The next step would be to conduct a survey to understand the needs
of our market, and discover possible upgrades.

Current Solutions

In the market, there is currently a company which uses a similar model (below). The
company, called “Ooho”, whose product consists of an entirely biodegradable outside
packaging that holds the water made from seaweed, has patented this but is still in the
idea stage. It has already been used in a marathon, with the edible water bottles used at
the water tables for easy access.

Our Team

Team Member Job Tasks

Eliza Roesler Manager, and Approve assignments, turn

Communicator in final work, and update
mentor and Mr. Tronconi

Caitlin Dwyer Facilitator, and Fabricator Manage incoming of new

tasks and create timelines,
manage materials, and run
mentor meetings
Eliza Roesler
Caitlin Dwyer

Our Mentor: Mrs. Jennifer Carlomagno

Occupation: Biology and AP Biology teacher at San Marin with a specialty in all
life sciences
Degree: Graduated biology major from University of California, Santa Barbara

Research - Need to Know

1. Specifics of Environmental Engineering

2. Other shell ingredients
3. Best place to implement a water solution
4. Packaging to other countries
a. Inspections
b. Customs
5. Durability
6. Market survey
7. Sustainable engineering concepts
8. Life cycle analysis report
a. Effect on environment
b. Biodegradablility
c. Potential harm of calcium / sodium deposits in the soil
9. Economics
a. Cost
b. Value
c. Distribution
d. Return on investment
e. Future value

Monitoring and Evaluation

Our official evaluator will be Mr. Tronconi, and our mentor will guide us before we turn
things in. The final analysis of our project will commence in June 2019.

Approval Signatures