In this section

Behaviour, Business Models and Societal Change

Engineering interventions in isolation will not suffice to address the global intractable challenge of plastic pollution. Cognitive science, business model innovations along the value chain, socio-technical transitions and environmental policy development are essential in ensuring that functionality is preserved and utility increased whilst they are decoupled from waste generation. This work informs the processes that will allow consumers to increase material reuse and businesses to increase resource recovery. It also informs the development of incentives and other policies to internalise the environmental benefit of novel materials, products and delivery methods.

Weston Baxter
Dyson School of Design Engineering

Mark Burgman
Centre for Environmental Policy

Lottie Butler
Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment

Arturo Castillo Castillo
Centre for Environmental Policy

Laurence Evans
Centre for Environmental Policy

Roger Fradera
Centre for Environmental Policy

Jose Furtado
Centre for Environmental Policy

Alyssa Gilbert
Grantham Institute for Climate Change

Ben Halpern
Life Sciences (Silwood Park)

Neil Jennings
Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment

Poppy Lakeman Fraser
Centre for Environmental Policy

Stefan Leutenegger
Computing

Ralf Martin
Imperial Business School

Morena Mills
Life Sciences (Silwood Park)

Mirabelle Muuls
Imperial Business School

Laurens Vandeweghe
Imperial Business School

Francisco Veloso
Imperial Business School

Ans Vercammen
Centre for Environmental Policy

Research themes

Key network projects

Holistic Integration of Technology, Design and Policy for a Greener Plastic Future

Ocean plastic

Ocean plastic set to triple by 2040, but immediate action could stem tide by 80%

A global study has found that without immediate and sustained action, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean could nearly triple by 2040.