Oil spills have tragic effects on our ocean ecosystems, marine wildlife and fellow humans. They are a result of accidents at oil rigs, pipelines, barges, or storage facilities. When oil escapes into a body of water such as the ocean, it floats over the surface forming a thin layer. Animals that swim through the oil, such as birds and fish, develop health issues or even die. People who aid in oil spill cleanups are also at risk, as vapors from the oil can be toxic when inhaled. Through this lens, the problem of oil spills is both a humanitarian and ecological crisis.

These different areas of impact motivated our group to create a new oil cleanup solution. We are currently designing an oil absorbent sponge made from certain recycled plastics, such as plastic wrap, packing peanuts, and grocery bags. Our goal is to use this sponge to reduce the time oil spill cleanup workers spend exposed to toxic fumes, minimize marine life exposure to oil, and extract oil from seawater for recycling. We have also researched strains of lipase-producing bacteria that could be used in conjunction with the sponge to fully degrade crude oil.