RECYCLED PLASTICS: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY, CIRCULAR APPROACH

Professor Andy Lyons is Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the University of Liverpool Management School.

A report by the OECD* found that globally, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled whilst 22% is mismanaged. Increasing awareness about the detrimental impact of plastic waste is helping to drive the development of more sustainable packaging solutions.

Work is currently underway on a three year project thanks to a £975,000 Research Award from the Natural Environment Research Council, which is bringing together experts from multi-disciplinary areas at the University of Liverpool, the University of Manchester, Unilever and Bright Green Plastics.

The Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Study

The project, the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging study, is being led by researchers at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry who are looking at how changes in chemistry control the properties of plastic packaging. This will develop understanding of the relationship between the chemistry and properties of recycled plastics, what effect the use of additives in recycled plastics have on packaging performance, and will inform processes to help prevent recycling degradation.

A report by the OECD* found that globally, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled whilst 22% is mismanaged. Increasing awareness about the detrimental impact of plastic waste is helping to drive the development of more sustainable packaging solutions.

* Source: OECD Global Plastics Outlook Database, 2019

The economic case for recycled plastic

Phase two of the project brings in Management School researchers who will then use these findings to thoroughly test out different scenarios. A profiling framework will be created to collect data and analyse how the use of different configurations of recycled plastic perform. The framework will allow researchers to map results against financial, social and environmental scenarios, depending on changes in demand and supply, to fully understand the economic case for using additives.

Circularity of plastic packaging

It is clear that we can no longer continue to produce new plastic and that as businesses and consumers we need to put existing plastic back into the economy. By optimising the suitability of plastics to be reused or repurposed for packaging, and demonstrating how recycled plastic can be best accessed, shared and utilised by manufacturers, we can tackle plastic waste and manage resources much more effectively.