Midday Science Cafe - A Great (New) Future in Plastics
Plastic is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and almost impossible to recycle or biodegrade effectively. As a result, roughly 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally to date—three quarters of which exist as waste. What if, instead of persisting for eons, plastics could degrade away as easily as fallen leaves? Or, what if plastic could be recycled without losing the properties that make it so useful? In recognition of Earth Day, we’re presenting two researchers who are attempting to make these what-ifs a reality. Dr. Aaron Hall will explain how plastic-degrading enzymes may help break up plastic in soil as easily as food scraps. Berkeley Lab scientist Dr. Jeremy Demarteau is taking a different approach to the same monstrous problem. He and his colleagues are developing a new class of plastics which are infinitely recyclable. Both approaches could reshape the future of plastics.
Featuring:
Dr. Jeremy Demarteau
Sustainable Polymer Project Scientist
Molecular Foundry Division
Berkeley Lab
Dr. Aaron Hall
Founder & CEO, Intropic Materials
Entrepreneurial Research Fellow, Activate Cyclotron Road, Berkeley Lab
Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, UC Berkeley
Thursday, April 21, 2022 | 12 PM
Brought to you by UC Berkeley’s Science at Cal and Berkeley Lab’s Government & Community Relations Office, “Midday Science Cafe” is a virtual series that highlights compelling and complementary scientific research from both institutions.