The world can’t live without plastic, at least not for the foreseeable future. It permeates every aspect of life from packaging, to healthcare, buildings, transportation, furniture, electronics, carpets, clothes, and most critical for younger generations – their indispensable security blanket – the cell phone.
Did you know that we have been using some form of plastic for thousands of years? Either did I, but shellac – made from a resin secreted by lac insects is a plastic-like material. (Credit to the BBC for that tidbit.) However, what we consider plastic today is a 20th century invention. The first plastic derived from fossil fuels – Bakelite – was invented in 1907. Synthetic plastics began gaining traction after World War II.
Strides are being made in replacing plastic and in migrating away from single-use plastic, but those efforts are barely scratching the surface of the plastic problem. Could an innovative solution being explored by university researchers turn that problem into an energy asset?
Check out today’s presentation for the answer.
#hydrogen #riceuniversity #plasticwaste #plasticpollution #bakelite
