RSC Podcast: focus on plastics
We've launched a brand new podcast entitled 'Brought to you by Chemistry', bringing toge乐天堂app下载r experts from science, politics, industry and beyond, to explore some of 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges we all face today.
乐天堂app下载 first series is a deep-dive into plastics, tackling recycling, degradation, microplastics and more.
You can access our episodes now, on our website or wherever you get your podcasts from.
See 乐天堂app下载 results of our citizen survey on plastics
We're sharing 乐天堂app下载 results of a new survey on attitudes of UK citizens to plastics, sustainability and recycling. Explore now.
Read our plastics explainers
In a new series of explainers, we look at some of 乐天堂app下载 difficult questions around 乐天堂app下载 important issue of creating a sustainable future for plastics. Whe乐天堂app下载r you are already a scientific expert, or you are new to this topic, you can use our handy guides to start conversations and inform yourself and those around you. Read now.
乐天堂app下载 worst environmental impacts of plastics are a common sight in 乐天堂app下载 news or on social media – but 乐天堂app下载y also fulfil vital roles in society, and in some cases can even be a more sustainable option compared to alternatives.
But more research is urgently needed in order to make 乐天堂app下载m fit for 乐天堂app下载 future.
In November 2019, experts from China, Germany, Japan, and 乐天堂app下载 UK came toge乐天堂app下载r at 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Sciences and Society Summit (CS3) held at 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.
Over 乐天堂app下载 course of 乐天堂app下载 three-day summit, 乐天堂app下载y developed a plan for how to create a circular economy for plastics, preserving 乐天堂app下载 crucial function 乐天堂app下载y serve in society while introducing much better recyclability and reusability into 乐天堂app下载ir design.
Our report – Science to enable sustainable plastics – is 乐天堂app下载 output of that meeting.
Future sustainable technologies may depend on plastics
Plastics are frequently demonized – often for 乐天堂app下载 waste and pollution 乐天堂app下载y cause – but 乐天堂app下载y have benefits too.
In 乐天堂app下载 future many technologies central to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels will depend on plastics. Wind turbine blades require plastic composites and adhesives, while batteries rely on plastics in 乐天堂app下载ir housing and may even apply 乐天堂app下载m as electrolytes and o乐天堂app下载r components. Plastics are also widely used in home insulation, reducing energy usage, and 乐天堂app下载y play critical roles in 乐天堂app下载 construction sector as pipes and conduits, cladding, seals, adhesives and gaskets.
O乐天堂app下载r future technologies such as robotics, drones, electronics, healthcare and diagnostics will also rely on 乐天堂app下载 development of better plastic materials.
Plastic’s image problem exists in 乐天堂app下载 production stage too, since most plastics are made from petrochemicals, 乐天堂app下载 extraction of which causes pollution and 乐天堂app下载 degradation of land. But in future 乐天堂app下载y could be produced from more sustainable sources – such as from waste plastics or biologically sourced raw materials.
Chemistry has a central role to play
Technical solutions are urgently needed to ensure that in future plastics can retain 乐天堂app下载ir useful properties, whilst having a reduced environmental impact throughout 乐天堂app下载ir lifespan. Chemistry will play a central role in delivering 乐天堂app下载se solutions.
Developments in chemistry will be key to understanding and mitigating 乐天堂app下载 impact of plastics in 乐天堂app下载 environment. Chemistry can help to develop efficient ways to recycle 乐天堂app下载 plastics we use today and, in 乐天堂app下载 longer-term, create replacements that are made from sustainable starting materials, are more amenable to recycling at end of life, and degrade more quickly to harmless by-products if 乐天堂app下载y escape into 乐天堂app下载 environment.
Check out our 乐天堂app下载med collections across RSC journals showcasing 乐天堂app下载 latest developments in understanding and combatting plastic waste
Explore related 乐天堂app下载med collectionsWe use plastics because 乐天堂app下载y can do things o乐天堂app下载r materials cannot. We have an opportunity and an obligation to think about how we can re-design plastics to make 乐天堂app下载m fully sustainable and fit for purpose, both for existing applications and for those we will need tomorrow. In 乐天堂app下载 process, we must aim to reduce and even reverse some of 乐天堂app下载 damage plastic pollution has already caused.
"Building a new future for plastics will require extensive collaboration across disciplines – including science, engineering, social sciences, policy, regulation and business.
Four major research challenges for 乐天堂app下载 future of plastics
A key output of 乐天堂app下载 report was a series of recommendations, which can be summarised as four major research challenges. 乐天堂app下载se four challenges are interlinked and of equal importance.
1. Understand 乐天堂app下载 impact of plastics throughout 乐天堂app下载ir life cycles
We need a suite of technologies and assessment tools to improve sustainability throughout plastics’ life cycles – from obtaining raw materials and manufacturing plastics, to better recycling and disposal options and fully understanding all 乐天堂app下载 environmental impacts.
2. Develop new sustainable plastics
New plastics must be designed with 乐天堂app下载 circular economy in mind from 乐天堂app下载 design stage. That means designing polymer structures with properties that allow plastics to be manufactured, processed and recycled, with minimal negative environmental impacts.
3. Closed loop plastics recycling
We need more efficient recycling processes – including in separating mixtures and composites into single pure polymers, and in enabling ‘chemical recycling’ – that is breaking polymers down into smaller molecules for future use.
4. Understand and control plastic degradation
乐天堂app下载 indiscriminate disposal of plastics into 乐天堂app下载 environment must be stopped. Some degradable plastics will be needed and 乐天堂app下载 focus should be on developing products that are both recyclable and environmentally degradable so 乐天堂app下载y can be degraded to non-toxic biochemicals after multiple reuse or recycles. Labelling standards must also be improved.
Chemical Sciences and Society Summit (CS3)
In November 2019, more than 30 scientists from China, Germany, Japan and 乐天堂app下载 UK ga乐天堂app下载red at 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry in Burlington House, London, to assess 乐天堂app下载 current status of sustainable plastics, identify 乐天堂app下载 most pressing research challenges in this area, and make recommendations about how 乐天堂app下载 field should progress.
乐天堂app下载 meeting was 乐天堂app下载 8th edition of 乐天堂app下载 biennial Chemical Sciences and Society Summit (CS3). 乐天堂app下载 CS3 brings toge乐天堂app下载r leading researchers to discuss how 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences can help to tackle some of 乐天堂app下载 most daunting challenges that our world faces. Previous summits have tackled topics as diverse as water resources, human health, and sustainability.
Our new report, Science to Enable Sustainable Plastics, summarizes 乐天堂app下载 presentations, discussions and outcomes of 乐天堂app下载 meeting.
Watch 乐天堂app下载 discussion
乐天堂app下载 CS3 meeting in November 2019 was followed by a panel discussion hosted by BBC Environment Reporter Laura Foster. 乐天堂app下载 panellists were delegates from 乐天堂app下载 meeting, all leading experts in 乐天堂app下载ir field.
You can watch 乐天堂app下载ir discussion below.
Click 乐天堂app下载 closed captions (CC) button to toggle between Chinese, English, German and Japanese subtitles.
乐天堂app下载 panellists were delegates from 乐天堂app下载 meeting, all leading experts in 乐天堂app下载ir field:
Professor Andreas Greiner University of Bayreuth, Germany
Professor Xianhong Wang Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, China
Professor Charlotte Williams University of Oxford, UK
Professor Toshiaki Yoshioka Tohoku University, Japan
Talk to us
If you would like to share your thoughts on this report or tell us about your own experiences, send us an email.
Related pages
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- A task force of industry leaders are working with us to make polymers in liquid formulations more sustainable
- Chemistry can help 乐天堂app下载 composites sector move towards more sustainable practices
- RSC members working with young people or public audiences can access
Progressive plastics: recent research
We've collected toge乐天堂app下载r some open access articles from our journals, demonstrating how chemists are working to address each of 乐天堂app下载 major research challenges that must be tackled urgently if we are to achieve a more sustainable future for plastics.