BananaGas Project: Inquiry-Based Learning into Waste Valorization for Sustainable Development

Integrating sustainable development into higher education is agreed to be urgent; however, the means to do so remains an open question. While projects focused on social-environmental problems allow students to engage in local challenges, inquiry-based learning leads students to investigate technically feasible solutions. This paper describes the BananaGas Project, an inquiry-based learning project in which Chemical Engineering students addressed waste management and energy limitations in Iquitos, Peru. The goal of the project was to apply physicochemical concepts in a local scenario by designing and operating chemical bioreactors for organic waste valorization. Banana peels were used as biomass because they represent a significant local waste stream with potential for biogas production. Comparative analysis of a diagnostic test and formative assessment through technical reports showed students’ learning progression during the project. The students also successfully connected the project development and results with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Detection of higher AI use to prepare reports (>35%) was associated with generic discussions and low integration with experimental data. Overall, the BananaGas Project demonstrated how locally relevant engineering problems can be used to develop technical and investigative skills toward an environmental and social sense of sustainability in undergraduate chemistry education.