By 2050, it's expected there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
How do we navigate our way out of this crisis? Join Leela Dilkes-Hoffman, a research analyst for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Liveris scholar, and Megan Jones as they discuss the circular economy and all things plastic.
Meet our Guest:
Dr Leela Dilkes-Hoffman
Project Manager for The New Plastics Economy with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Leela is a UQ alumni and was a Westpac Future Leader. At UQ she was a part of the UQ Translational Polymer Research Group. She did her PhD on biodegradable plastics and their role in the circular economy. Specifically, she has focused on PHAs a type of plastic produced by bacteria that can completely biodegrade – even in the ocean!
She has also done considerable research into public opinions about plastic and bio-plastic. She believes in a circular economy and is tirelessly working with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to make a closed-loop economy and turn waste into resources. Ultimately, she believes that:
“It doesn’t make sense that we’re just producing these materials to only throw them out five minutes later and (that) there has to be a better way”