In October 2024, Prof. Mike Shaver presented “One bin to rule them all”, a public lecture co-produced with Royce and hosted by the Royal Institution.
The Royal Institution lectures are hosted by researchers from cutting-edge areas of science, top science writers and leading media and government professionals. Spanning a myriad of subject areas, the lectures provide a unique opportunity to engage with prominent figures in science as well as encourage the public to think deeper about how science influences our daily lives.
Plastics are a complex issue, highlighted by the extent of their use across different sectors and their value at end-of-life. But is eliminating single-use plastic enough to solve this problem? Prof. Shaver explored the complex nature of our plastic environment, including the interdependency of plastics on our goals for lowering our carbon footprint and increasing our expected lifespan.
He also highlighted the work of his research project “One bin to rule them all”, and how polymer chemistry can shape a greener future by developing interdisciplinary solutions that work across the supply chain. Mike, along with his research group at the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, aims to develop systemic recycling approaches, from reuse to enzymatic, chemical and mechanical recycling processes, and explore the opportunities and risks of new monomers for degradable polymers.
Finally, Mike emphasised the importance of authenticity – both in terms of technical challenges in qualifying and quantifying recycled material, and in avoiding greenwashing.
The lecture was filmed in front of an audience and has been made available this week on the Royal Institution’s YouTube channel.
You can watch the video here.
