Republic of the Philippines

Bulacan State University

City of Malolos, Bulacan
Tel/Fax (044) 791 – 0153

Name: De Guzman, Aaron Choco S.

Section: 3A

FLITTRAP (Floating Litter Trap)

with Collecting System: A Critical Review
Amparo Cecilia D.S. Sarmiento, Aldrin C. Bernardo, Renerose R. Distajo, Paul Jonathan I.
Bunag, Marvin V. Malinao, Bernard Luis C. Pagdanganan, Lorie Mae B. Perez
Mechanical Engineering Department, Bulacan State University

Waterways play a vital role in the community and should be maintained clean
and uncongested. In the Philippines, waterways are highly used for irrigation. As the
Philippines is known to be a rice-producing country, these waterways are of great
help to farmers. A clean and uncongested waterway will also prevent flooding. On
the other hand, these waterways are being congested with garbage. People are
relentlessly disposing their waste on canals, which results in waterways being a pool
of litter. In response to this problem, the researchers aim to introduce a new and
innovative way of collecting litter on waterways.

The main objective of the study is to demonstrate how to efficiently use the
device called Floating Litter Trap (FLITTRAP), a more sustainable and requires less
manpower device that uses different principles of strength of materials, machine
design and buoyancy force and pulley mechanism. This paper deals with exactly the
subject, considering the title of this research "FLITTRAP (Floating Litter Trap) with
Collecting System".

The statement of purpose in the abstract aspires to innovate a Floating Litter

Trap and equip it with a lifting system to aid the existing problems in the
conventional way of collecting trash, which is the same as the introduction objective
and with that, all information in the introduction leads coherently to the purpose of
the study.

The design and testing conducted on the device that was installed in a
waterway at barangay San Marcos, Calumpit, Bulacan, are valid for studying the
problem. Aside from the float test, the device is put through its paces in order to
decide how long it would take for it to reach its full load power, which is adequate
to drastically impact the results of this study. A strong experimental design increases
the chances of a successful experiment for the researcher.
 The presented data in a diagram form of the actual testing is accurately
described with proper heading and the labels are in detail. The percentage of the
submerged and unsubmerged part of the device clearly shows that it is ready for
comparison and interpretation, but the review results as presented in the text
referring to the data in the diagrams are not discussed in detail and there are no
calculations on how the data is solved. Nonetheless, the stated objectives of the
results reveal the intention of the researchers. In the analysis and discussion of the
testing result, the data was logically interpreted, especially the float test proved
that the materials used for the floating device are effective. Besides that, the
interpretation of the data is supported by the other research cited in the paper.

The abstract of the study accurately summarizes the article. The headings
and paragraphing are organized and it is logically divided into paragraphs and the
study of the distinctive styles is addressed. The research makes a significant
contribution to human knowledge that can be used in solving an existing problem
and promoting an innovative mind to improve and discover new things. This study
produces a practical application, particularly in social and technological aspects. It
is a great contribution with an extensive impact on the community that can be
applied to other places in our country.

Addressing litter in our community necessitates the participation of the entire

community, from restaurant owners, factories down to homeowners and to the
public. The most successful approach will investigate the lifecycle of litter in our
community, determining where it originates and how to intercept escaped trash as
quickly and efficiently as possible. Of course, this also entails working to change
community behavior by promoting initiatives to use fewer single-use materials,
recycle more, and ensure people properly dispose of trash. It also necessitates city-
wide commitments, ranging from businesses and parks providing appropriate trash
receptacles to local governments supporting garbage collection and recycling
systems that reduce litter in our communities.

The Floating Litter Trap with Collecting System is an effective tool for
addressing large-scale litter problems in our community. This device is not only
effective at removing and collecting litter, but it is also visible in the community,
providing great opportunities for education and awareness. However, this is not a
long-term solution and it should be viewed as one useful tool in our community's
larger litter prevention and collection toolbox.
References:

Floating Litter Trap is an innovation developed to solve marine waste. (2020, June).
Retrieved 29 March 2021, from
http://www.scgsustainability.com/en/sustainability/csr-activity-
en/floating-litter-trap-is-an-innovation-developed-to-solve-marine-waste/

Waste in our waters: a community toolkit for aquatic litter removal. (2019).
Retrieved 29 March 2021, from https://www.rivernetwork.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/06/waste-in-our-waters-community-toolkit-for-
aquatic-litter-removal.pdf