Victor de Moura Silva developed the equipment with Rafael Casanato, overcame the failures of the first prototype, and represented the duo alone in Seoul, where he won a silver medal and international recognition
The young Victor de Moura Silva transformed a project started in a public school in Carlos Barbosa, Rio Grande do Sul, into an award-winning recycling machine in South Korea. The machine automates stages of separating components found in PET bottles.
Developed in partnership with Rafael Casanato da Silva, the equipment cuts the cap and seal, presses the bottle, and separates the materials according to color. Victor presented the work alone at the World Invention Creativity Olympic (WICO), held in Seoul.
The invention won a silver medal with an honorable mention. According to the Carlos Barbosa City Hall, the project also received special recognition related to Thailand, while Victor was awarded the title of Honorary Ambassador.
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Rafael was unable to accompany his colleague on the trip, but Victor emphasized that the project and the merit belong entirely to both. To reach South Korea, the student resorted to a fundraising campaign, sought sponsorships, and used his own resources.
Victor claims to have worked to pay for most of the trip
The lack of financial resources became an obstacle between the student and the international competition. Victor stated that the fundraising and sponsorships covered approximately 30% of the expenses needed for the trip.
The rest, according to him, was paid with money obtained through his own work. The total costs of the trip and the individual participation of each sponsor were not detailed.
“Unfortunately, Rafael couldn’t travel with me, but the project and the merit are 100% ours,” said Victor in the statement released by the municipal administration. He added that he had to work hard to complete the budget.
Victor had completed high school at the Elisa Tramontina State High School. He is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS).
The participation took place at the 15th edition of WICO. According to the official organization of the competition, the event was held between July 16 and 18, 2026, at the Seoul National University of Education.
The program included an exhibition of inventions, professional presentations, expert evaluation, and an award ceremony. The organization offers a Grand Prize, gold, silver, and bronze medals, and special distinctions.
Problem observed in class led to the invention
The project began at the start of the 2023 school year. At that time, Victor was also studying Electromechanics at Senai and followed a classroom discussion about the incorrect disposal of waste.
The situation sparked the student’s interest in the separation of recyclable materials. Victor and Rafael began researching alternatives to facilitate the work, especially in removing components made with different polymers than those used in the bottle body.
PET bottles can include caps, seals, and other components made of polypropylene. The joint presence of these materials makes separation difficult and can compromise the quality of the product obtained in recycling.
The work was registered at Mostratec 2024 with the title “Study of the creation of a tool with the aim of assisting in the efficiency of polypropylene plastic recycling – Phase II”.
The official registration identifies Victor and Rafael as authors and the Elisa Tramontina School as the responsible institution. The research proposes an automated machine to make polymer separation more efficient and reduce problems caused by inadequate waste management.
First model did not work as expected
The development did not progress without difficulties. Victor reported that the project did not work on the first attempt. Even so, the school and teachers encouraged the duo to continue developing the idea.
The initial version was a simple tool, created to remove the seal from the bottles. In the following stages, Victor and Rafael decided to automate the process and added new components to the prototype.
In the configuration presented later, the bottle is placed upside down on a conveyor belt. A piston performs the cutting of the cap and seal, while a press compacts the packaging. The system was also designed to separate materials by color.
The equipment remains characterized as an experimental project. Indicators of capacity per hour, energy consumption, accuracy rate in classification, or results of independent tests on an industrial scale have not been disclosed.
Project accumulated awards before the trip
Before arriving in South Korea, the work went through different scientific exhibitions. The duo won second place at the municipal exhibition in Carlos Barbosa and advanced to Mostratec, held in Novo Hamburgo.
In the 2024 edition, the invention took first place in the Environmental Engineering category and received the Excellence Award from the Brazilian Association for the Promotion of Science, as well as a recommendation for publication in the Scientia Prima journal.
The project also won a silver medal at Infomatrix Brazil. At the Latin American Scientific Exhibition, held in Peru, it received a silver medal and recognition in scientific research.
The evolution from the initial model to the automated machine occurred since 2023. For Victor, the award in Seoul represents not only a personal achievement but the continuation of work built by the two students.
The young man stated that he intends to leave a legacy within the school where the research began. The intention is to show younger students that projects developed in public education can reach national scientific fairs and international competitions.
