This paper examines how increasing recycled content in plastics, while addressing sustainability goals, can inadvertently amplify microplastic pollution due to material degradation during production, use, and recycling. By proposing a risk assessment framework and analyzing cases like textiles and wood–plastic composites, the study highlights critical areas for policy intervention and sets a research agenda to guide informed decision-making.
SusTec Phd Candidates Alberto Arcà and David Pfeffer presented their research at the STEPS Towards Sustainable plastics conference in Lund 7-9th of September.
Our senior researcher, Alejandro Nuñez-Jimenez, has secured an Ambizione fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Over the next four years, Alejandro will lead a team in developing a modelling framework capable of simulating policies for net-zero emission technologies from a new perspective.
Our PhD candidate Ricarda Fieber was nominated to participate in the Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Group Meeting for the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations at the United Nations Conventions Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
Senior Researcher Alejandro Nuñez Jimenez presented his latest work at a gathering of applied economists in Sicily and took part in an expert roundtable on climate change and rural development.
PhD candidate David Pfeffer joins a PhD honours program to promote sustainable development and research across Europe and Africa. The program includes summer schools and collaborative teaching projects aimed at high-school students.