The Birmingham Plastics network will lead one of five ambitious new projects by UK universities to deliver a step change in the sustainability of plastics.
The world produces 300 million tonnes per year of plastic. In the UK, 5 million tonnes per year of plastic are used, with 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging thrown away. The EPSRC-BBSRC initiative reflects the need for fresh thinking to make plastics and their use more sustainable.
The project will be funded as part of a combined £6 million from the UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (£5 million) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (£1 million) for projects which support the UK in moving towards a circular plastics economy and cutting the enormous environmental damage that plastics cause, as well as increasing their longevity in use and boosting their value.
Led by Professor Andrew Dove, the project will pioneer solutions that aid the creation of a circular economy in medical testing plastics.
In clinical settings, laboratories and the home, rapid tests for pregnancy, diabetes, and other conditions generate huge amounts of waste plastic. Much of this ever-growing volume is incinerated or landfilled; some end up directly in the environment.
Changing the whole culture of disposability surrounding medical testing poses a unique challenge. This project will pioneer solutions that aid the creation of a circular economy in medical testing plastics. Working with NHS Trusts and partners in plastics manufacture, diagnostic test provision and laboratory equipment supply will deliver valuable benefits for both the environment and the economy.
Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry
Staff profile for Andrew Dove, Professor in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham.
