Online Engineering Programs Home

Reducing Plastic Waste: A Material Engineer's Guide

Find schools

Using Material Engineering to Reduce Plastic Waste

So far, material engineering has not been able to produce a single, convenient replacement for traditional plastics. But it has developed a variety of clever plastic alternatives, which, taken together, could significantly reduce society’s plastic waste: mushroom-based materials, algae-based materials, and stone wool products have all shown initial promise.

But what if we could keep the best parts of plastics while removing the worst? That was the attitude adopted by both the winners and the runners-up in the 2019 Making And Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The first-place team, ecoTrio, proposed a biodegradable plastic alternative that blended three materials. The first material is an easily degradable polymer that, on its own, would be too expensive to compete with mainstream plastics on its own. But the second material is a cheap, scalable, and biodegradable plastic polymer, and the third material consists of fine-grained wood particles. The second and third materials are proprietary to the ecoTrio team, but, together, lower the cost of the plastic blend and allow its strength and flexibility to be tuned to a manufacturer’s specific needs.

The 2019 MADMEC runner-up, PETTIGREW, also sought to tackle the plastic waste problem, though through different means. The PETTIGREW team incorporated a decomposition-causing bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, into plastics as they were being produced. Combined with a sugar filler, the resulting plastic could still sustain itself at the high temperatures required to shape and mold traditional plastics, with only minimal effects on the product’s overall strength and flexibility.

Postponed due to Covid-19 in 2020, materials engineers will return to MADMEC in 2021, and those interested in plastic alternatives will be eager to learn if the competitive field arrives with further innovations on plastics, and plastic decomposability.

The Future of Plastics

Corporate attitudes around plastics have changed significantly in the 21st century. Coca-Cola has set a goal of collecting and recycling the equivalent of 100 percent of its packaging by 2030. Other major corporations like PepsiCo and Unilever have committed to converting to 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025. Lego is experimenting with prototype bricks made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.

Consumer habits are changing, too. Bans on plastic straws and plastic bags have popped up in states across the country. Bamboo toothbrushes, cloth shopping bags, steel straws, and other alternatives to single-use plastic products are becoming more accessible.

A completely plastic-free world may still be a long way off, but for one month out of the year, for millions of people, it’s a reality.

Resources for Plastic-Free July

Whether you’re interested in using material engineering to help reduce plastic waste, or you’re just looking for ways to contribute to a less wasteful environment through your own consumer behaviors, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

  • Plastic-Free July: Operating around the globe, Plastic-Free July has a host of resources for people interested in reducing their dependence on plastics.
  • Life Without Plastic: Featured in The New York Times, the Life Without Plastic blog seeks to not only raise awareness about the environmental problems with plastic but also offer accessible alternatives to plastic products.
  • MADMEC: MIT’s MADMEC competition brings together the best and the brightest to put materials science skills to use in tackling sustainability issues.
  • The Circular Laboratory: Dedicated to the idea of a circular economy, where the life cycle of products is considered from end to end, the Circular Laboratory acts as a hub for emerging research on plastic alternatives and sustainability.

Related Features

10 Best Engineering Blogs for University Students

By reading a select number of engineering blogs, university students can gain access to the thoughts of some of the best engineers in the world, and get on the path to becoming one themselves.

10 Video Games for Civil Engineers

The concepts of civil engineering are particularly well-suited for the game environment, emphasizing the proper distribution of resources, the management of supply chains, and how the built environment interacts with the lived environment.

3D Printed Shoes, Food, Homes & More – What to Know

The future of 3D printing is poised to further disrupt and redefine industries by enabling democratized manufacturing and localized production. As advancements continue, we can expect even more sophisticated materials to become available, broadening the range of products that can be printed.

Holiday Gift Guide for Engineers & Engineering Students (2021-2022)

Engineers might be the only group of people where you can give them a problem—and they can consider it a gift. The engineering mind thrives on hunting for elegant solutions to complex tasks. That doesn’t mean you should give an engineering student a homework assignment for the holidays, but it does mean you can have some fun with the gift you eventually select.

How Engineers Combat Drought – Engineering to Maximize Water Supply

A drought is a year with a below-average water supply, and it’s a natural part of the climate cycle. But climate change has made droughts more frequent, severe, and pervasive. Europe is currently experiencing its worst drought in 500 years, while parts of the Western US are experiencing a “megadrought” that’s been called the worst in 1,200 years.