SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Plastic has made the modern world possible , so much so that we are unlikely to be able to do without it any century soon . This is why the quest to reduce the use of plastic where it is not needed and make plastic more reusable has become a global research priority .

The world is edging closer to improving its use and management of plastics . Advances in biodegradability , reusable and refillable plastic products and recycling technologies are opening the way to being able to rethink the use of plastics where alternative materials are available . And , crucially , the push for change is now being backed by the majority of world governments .

Many of the scientists at the forefront of this endeavour belong to a cohort of research disciplines that have put the University of Portsmouth in the lead of much of the progress being made .

The characterisation and modification in 2018 of enzymes that can digest polyethylene terephthalate ( PET ) plastic continues to advance through the work of the Centre for Enzyme Innovation Global Plastics Policy Centre has been set up to support improved and more accountable plastics policymaking .

The overarching objective of our research is to retain plastics as a valuable and versatile material but develop the necessary science and governance to eliminate them as ubiquitous pollutants . Plastic waste , which can linger for centuries , is almost universally recognised as having reached a crisis level , especially for marine ecosystems .

Despite this , a concerted global response has seemed ‘ mission impossible ’. As Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre , Professor Steve Fletcher explains : “ Aside from the material ’ s durability , the plastics economy is global and very complex , which makes global solutions extremely difficult .”

24 ISSUE 04 / 2022