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October 26, 2020

How can we minimize the impact of plastics on the environment?


Dr. Thomas Epps and his team at the University of Delaware, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, are studying the lifecycle of design, sources, uses, and repurposing of plastic materials to minimize impact on the environment. Plastics, also called polymers, have enabled revolutionary changes to society, from enhancing safe medical care, to food storage, to everyday conveniences from your toothbrush to your TV. But the properties that make plastic advantageous, namely that it is cheap and sturdy, also pose challenges for how to dispose or repurpose plastics to keep them from entering the environment.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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