Irene Samy Fahim Gabriel’s award-winning bagasse cutlery reduces carbon emissions and reduces the need for water and fuel.Photo: Erin Samy Fahim Gabriel
Like many women, Irene Sami Fahim Gabriel found her calling in science at a young age. “My friends and I competed to see who would get the highest marks, and my favorite subjects were math and science,” she told The National. “And in my house I’m surrounded by engineers.”
So when a professor told her, still a student, about the many benefits of recycling in 1998, Gabriel was immediately fascinated by the idea. “It seemed to me that this was an important topic that I needed to develop,” she said.
Fast forward to today and Gabrielle is one of 14 Arab women recognized by the L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Scientists Program in the Middle East.
While the annual award is nothing new, its first physical event in the Middle East was held at the Dubai Expo 2020 on February 9 and was recognized by young talents, including two women from the UAE, for their discoveries in the field of science. , technology, engineering and mathematics (core subjects). The ceremony was also timed to coincide with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February.
Gabriel, who has applied for the award five times in the past, said it was “breathtaking” to be selected. “I am happy and proud. This is proof that hard work and perseverance pays off.”
So what is her merit? Here is Gabriel’s research on a practical way to turn sugar cane waste, known as bagasse, into disposable tableware.
Finished product: Bagasse or sugarcane waste can be turned into sustainable dishes.Photo: Erin Sami Faheem Gabriel
“There are three million tons of sugar cane waste in Egypt that is not recycled every year,” she said. “The sugar industry usually produces sugar and then burns or leaves cane waste. They are sometimes used to make paper, but that industry is also in decline as people prefer gadgets to paper.”
Over the past few years, another problem has arisen: the rise in popularity of disposable tableware. “Particularly due to Covid-19, the demand for disposable cutlery is growing. The industry needs environmentally friendly alternatives.”
So Gabriel put two and two together and began treating the waste cane with oil- and water-resistant chemicals, which he then used as eco-friendly disposable tableware.
The idea of recycling bagasse is not unusual. In some other parts of the world, it is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene. However, its use in the Middle East is still new. For Gabriel, this meant traveling and purchasing raw materials from paper companies in Egypt that use sugar cane waste.
“It’s very difficult to get raw materials. These companies are part of a government organization and I had to make sure they knew it was for research purposes. But after I talked to them about my project, they found that it could be an alternative paper.”
She also found a way to streamline the process by taking liquid pulp directly from the company, treating it with environmentally friendly chemicals, and pressing it into dishes using machines. “My process uses 50% less water and saves 5 kilowatts of electricity per kilogram of bagasse (compared to traditional practice). It’s a more cyclical, sustainable model that I’m patenting on,” she said.
If approved, this could be a game changer. Cookware made from bagasse can cut carbon emissions and reduce the need for water and fuel. It is durable, holds hot and cold food, is freezer and microwave safe, and is biodegradable. Finally, because it uses waste, it is 20% cheaper than other alternatives.
The patent could also catapult her from researcher to entrepreneur, but Gabrielle takes it easy, especially since she promotes the environmental ideas that matter most.
“I’m very happy to see this product being used as an alternative to Styrofoam. I feel like Egypt could be the market leader for this product because of its proximity to many countries. So I’m definitely working on it and I’m also a partner, who specializes in this. This is my biggest dream and I hope to realize it in the next few years.”
She hopes her efforts will also encourage more women to take to the field. “Now it is not so important, but there are still people who think that women are not capable of working in fields such as engineering and science,” she said.
According to the latest UNESCO Science Report, published in June 2021, the number of women working in science is on the rise, but remains just above 33% globally. “We need more women to lead by example,” Gabriel said. “It sends a message that if you have passion, you can do whatever you want.”
Arij Yehya, Qatar: Her research identifies factors contributing to the widening gender personality gap to further evaluate current and future gender policies.
Halima Alnaqbi, UAE: Her research on strengthening the organ transplant system to include Arab ethnic groups.
Rachel Njeim, Lebanon: She has done research on the contribution of NETosis to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.
Herself Hassan Ali Rahmatullah, Iraq: She has done research on resistance to pollution caused by plant genetic variations associated with oil-contaminated soils.
Sarah Abdelkader, Egypt: Investigation of sustainable methods for the treatment of agricultural wastewater and its reuse in irrigation in the field.
Dr. Gada Dushak, UAE: For research in photonics aimed at discovering new materials and structures to increase the speed, power and accuracy of traditional technologies.
Dr. Hend Alkaderi, Kuwait: her research into the use of oral fluid as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the early diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 and other inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Noura Adam Mohamed (Qatar): for research into the development of unconventional new therapeutics for the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Ingi Ibrahim Abdallah, Egypt: for research on overcoming mutations in receptors in targeted cancer therapy.
Dr. Heba Alzaben, Jordan: for her research on ecosystem health monitoring using thermal remote sensing.
Dr. Hiba N Rajha, Lebanon: Her research into the value of food waste by incorporating and nanoencapsulating grape skin polyphenols in various cosmetic products.
Dr. Nirmin Elmadani, Palestine: Her research targets immunosuppressive proteins in the glioblastoma microenvironment to improve tumor response to immunotherapy.
Post time: Aug-21-2023