Researching the circular plastics economy

University of Auckland researchers are exploring novel ways to reduce the amount of plastics sent to landfill, with the help of $11.7 million awarded as part of the government’s 2022 Endeavour Fund. Shaping a sustainable circular plastics market and the infrastructure needed requires a large-scale collective e ort, says Business School academic Dr Julia Fehrer, one of an interdisciplinary team working on the project to increase the reuse of plastics by New Zealand businesses. The Faculty of Engineering scientists are working on a technique to create new materials from blends of di erent types of plastics, as well as exploring the best ways to shape a functioning circular plastics market in New Zealand. The five-year plastics project, led by the Faculty of Engineering and the Business School, is supported by a range of partners, including RMIT University in Melbourne and crown research institutes Scion and GNS Science.