You chose the **Banana Leaf**—versatile and naturally biodegradable.
Commonly used in food wrapping across South Asia.
What happens to it?
<img src="images/5.png" width="600" alt="Start page image">
* [[Left to decompose naturally]]
* [[Dumped with plastic waste]]
* [[Repurposed for restaurant use]]The husk is burned in an open fire.
It releases carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere.
🔥 Short-term disposal, long-term pollution.
* [[Try again|Coconut Husk]]You chose the **Coconut Husk**.
Natural, fibrous, and biodegradable—but often burned or thrown away.
What happens next?
<img src="images/4.png" width="600" alt="Start page image">
* [[Burned as waste]]
* [[Composted]]
* [[Used for eco-packaging]]A local startup collects discarded plastics to make eco-bricks.
Your bottle becomes part of a low-cost housing wall in a flood-prone region.
🌍 A waste problem becomes a shelter solution.
* [[Explore another material|Start]]The husk is left in a community compost pit.
Over weeks, it breaks down and enriches the soil.
Later, that same soil grows vegetables in a home garden.
🌱 A return to nature.
* [[Explore another material|Start]]**From Waste to Innovation – An Interactive Journey**
Creative Project by: Kumuthu Nugaduwa Withanage
Course: SAH1250 | Assessment 3: Part B—Creative Project
Date: May 2025
<img src="images/1.png" width="600" alt="Start page image">
Click below to begin your journey.
* [[Start]]
*[[About This Project]]
The leaf is mixed with non-biodegradable waste and ends up in landfill.
Though it decomposes quickly, it is **lost in a system that doesn’t separate waste**.
🗑 Even biodegradable waste needs proper handling.
* [[Try again|Banana Leaf]]The leaf falls to the ground and breaks down within weeks.
It becomes part of the forest floor’s nutrient cycle.
🌿 Nature needs no intervention.
* [[Explore another material|Start]]Great! The bottle is collected and sent to a recycling facility.
After sorting and cleaning, it is shredded into flakes and turned into polyester yarn.
Months later, it reappears as a fabric in a sportswear line.
🧵 New life from old plastic!
* [[Explore another material|Start]]You chose the **Plastic Bottle**.
Lightweight, durable—and one of the most common forms of marine litter.
Where does it go?
<img src="images/3.png" width="600" alt="Start page image">
* [[Thrown into the street]]
* [[Placed in a recycling bin]]
* [[Collected by an innovator]]A zero-waste restaurant collects banana leaves from nearby farms.
They are cleaned and used as **plates and packaging**—then composted after use.
🍽 Tradition meets sustainability.
* [[Explore another material|Start]]Welcome to *From Waste to Innovation*.
You are about to follow the journey of an everyday item after it is discarded.
What kind of item will you explore today?
<img src="images/2.png" width="600" alt="Start page image">
* [[Plastic Bottle]]
* [[Coconut Husk]]
* [[Banana Leaf]]
*[[About This Project]]Rain carries the plastic bottle into the stormwater drain.
Eventually, it ends up in the ocean, drifting among thousands of other plastics.
🧪 Microplastics form as it breaks down.
🐢 A turtle mistakes it for food.
* [[Try a different path|Plastic Bottle]]The husk is processed into **biodegradable packaging** by a local entrepreneur.
It replaces Styrofoam in supermarket trays.
🛍 Sustainable and market-ready.
* [[Explore another material|Start]]**About This Project** 🌿
<img src="images/kumuthu.png" width="200" alt="Kumuthu">
*From Waste to Innovation – An Interactive Journey* is a creative digital storytelling project developed by **Kumuthu Nugaduwa Withanage** for the unit **SAH1250: Story, Context, and Creativity**, submitted as part of **Assessment 3: Part B – Creative Project** in May 2025.
This interactive narrative explores the afterlife of three discarded items—**a plastic bottle**, **a coconut husk**, and **a banana leaf**—to uncover the hidden stories behind waste. Each user decision leads to a different outcome, highlighting the power of individual choices in shaping environmental futures 🔁.
The project was **designed and built using Twine**, a tool for nonlinear storytelling that enables branching narratives and immersive interactivity. It integrates AI-generated imagery, sound, and user-driven choices to engage audiences in thoughtful, creative exploration.
📍 This project is publicly accessible at:
👉 **[https://storyofwaste.space](https://storyofwaste.space)** 🌐
Grounded in themes of **personal, collective, and counter-narratives**, this story aligns with SAH1250’s goal of using storytelling as a **medium for critical reflection and social advocacy**. It encourages audiences to rethink waste as not just a byproduct—but as a **beginning for innovation, circularity, and change** 🌍.
Click [[Start]] to begin your journey, or return to the [[Cover]] page.