Issue 287 – Ending plastic waste

ULUU seaweed-derived plastic film

Could seaweed replace plastic?

CSIRO is testing seaweed-derived polymers for use as an alternative to conventional plastics.

meal worm burrowing through plastic

Could insect digestion solve the waste crisis?  

CSIRO researchers are peering into the digestive processes of insects to see what happens when they are exposed to plastics. Do insects consume plastic or is something else going on?

Pool liners recyclate

Saving PVC from landfill

Plans to develop a tool to analyse the chemical composition of specific PVC products could be a game changer for PVC recycling.

volunteers by a lake

Plastic pollution: how much is there?

Scientists and the Australian community are on the hunt for rubbish as part of a national plastic pollution survey. They’ve captured data on more than 270,000 items of rubbish so far. You can help too!

photo of waterway in Indonesia with lots of rubbish and the same area in the background cleaned up

Casting a global net to solve the plastic problem

CSIRO is working with Indonesia and other regional partners where COVID has exacerbated the plastic pollution issue.