Let’s define the problem.

Is there a plastic iceberg in the ocean? No, of course not. Micro plastics are invisible. And it’s going up the food chain. Why is there no solution for complex plastics (like nappies and crisp packets)?

How can we make multifunctional materials with smart polymers for solving grand challenges?

Join host Professor Joao Cabral (Chemical Engineering, Imperial), Professor Alamgir Karim (Chemical Engineering at University of Houston) and Post Doc Researcher Dr. Pedro Nakasu (Imperial) as they discuss the complexity of the life cycle of polymers (plastics) and how it affects the drive towards sustainable waste solutions.

Host Professor Joao Cabral - Professor of Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial

Joao's links: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/j.cabral

Guests

• Prof Alamgir Karim - Dow Chair and Welch Foundation Professor Director, International Polymer & Soft Matter Center (IPSMC) Alamgir's links: https://www.chee.uh.edu/faculty/karim
• Dr. Pedro Nakasu - Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial Pedro's links: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/p.souza-nakasu17

Topics Discusses in this episode;

• Different types of Polymers and their relationship to waste.
• Challenge in separation processes for recycling.
• Upcycling polymers instead of recycling.
• Fast Fashion and the degradation of fibres.
• Complex plastics (composites) that are difficult to recycle.
• Machines of the Futures to assist with sorting plastic.
• Role of consumers (Cost vs Performance)
• Process of diffusion.
• Smart use of plastics in healthcare.
• Sustainable plastics trending.
• Need for Systems Thinking and transdisciplinary collaborations.

Produced by Annemarie van Basten https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarie-van-basten

Additional Links

Imperial Department of Chemical Engineering link - https://www.imperial.ac.uk/chemical-engineering/

Karim Research Group link - https://karimlab.chee.uh.edu/

Article: Mapping the Chemical Complexity of Plastics link: Mapping the chemical complexity of plastics | Nature

Article: 'Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you?' link - Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you?

Article: 'Plastic recycling: A panacea or environmental pollution problem' link - Plastic recycling: A panacea or environmental pollution problem | npj Materials Sustainability