Net0MM Workshop - The Ongoing Challenges of Plastic Waste: Needs, Opportunities, and Solutions

​This is a workshop hosted by the Net0MM-CREATE team at UBC. We will welcome Dr. Love Ese-Chile as the workshop moderator, with the following guest speakers:

• ​Dr. James McLellan (Professor at Queen's University)

• ​Dr. Mark Miodownik (Professor at University College London)

• ​Susanna Carson (CEO at BSIbio Packaging Solutions)

​Abstract

​Plastics are integral to modern life, offering versatility at low cost across sectors from construction to medicine. However, managing plastics at the end of their lifecycle remains a pressing issue. Since 1950, global plastic production has surged from 2 million to over 450 million tonnes annually, creating a significant waste management crisis. Plastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (during production and disposal), dominate landfills, and harm ecosystems when they enter the environment.

​This workshop will explore three strategies to mitigate plastic waste destined for landfills or incineration: recycling, composting, and reduction (via decreased demand, reuse, or repurposing). Discussions will focus on the current state of technology, identifying gaps, and envisioning innovations. Equally important, we will address the systems these technologies must operate within, including policy challenges, stakeholder engagement, and the need to rethink entrenched practices.​

​Schedule

​9:00 am - Welcome and Land Acknowledgement by Dr. Chad Sinclair
9:05 am - Introduction by Dr. Love-Ese Chile
9:10 am - Introductions by 3 guest speakers
9:25 am - Topic 1: Policy and Deployment (Posed Question 1 & 2)
9:55 am - Break
10:05 am - Audience Feedback / discussion
10:20 am - Topic 2: Stakeholder Engagement and Adoption Strategies (Posed Question 1 & 2)
10:45 am - Audience Discussion
11:00 am - Workshop Closed

​To learn more about Net0MM-CREATE at UBC, please visit the website.