Water and Waste team develop low-cost methods to identify types of discarded plastics used for food and beverage packaging

Dr Pete Shaw (Southampton University) recently presented new work at the 2022 Sixth Symposium on Circular Economy and Urban Mining in Capri. This work, developed and trialled by the Water and Waste team, examines how the plastic resins used for packaging can be identified using simple observations and tests. Initial studies demonstrate that common types of plastics can be reliably identified quickly, easily and with use of readily available equipment. This method thus has potential for applications in settings where resources are limited – and much potential for “citizen science” applications