Casarotti and Sfeir are senior students in the Bachelor’s program in International Studies. They received an honorable mention in the Team category of the 2022 Astur Prize, a competition for young researchers in which participants submit proposals for public development projects based on applied knowledge. The central theme of this year’s competition was “The environment as a multidimensional pillar of development.”
The proposal developed by the students involves the implementation of smart bins that reward users for disposing of plastic waste. To develop a consistent and robust proposal, the graduates undertook an exhaustive process of research, analysis, and engagement with the topic: they visited recycling plants, interviewed potential partner companies for the rewards phase, and spoke with members of the Environmental Development Department of the Montevideo City Government.
The awards were announced on December 14, 2022, and the ceremony was presided over by the director of the Astur Foundation, Enrique Iglesias, a certified public accountant, former secretary general of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, and former president of the Inter-American Development Bank.