PPRC is pleased to be engaged in a series of activities to raise awareness of the positive contribution plastics make to everyday life and provide understanding to support better-informed decision making around their use, reuse, recycling and disposal.  Beginning with a seminar on Thursday 13th June at which staff and students from across the University heard from a number of speakers including Eric Randall, Director of Bryson Recycling, who spoke on loss of economic opportunities through irresponsible disposal of plastic, Philip McMurray from the Single Use Plastic, Waste Prevention & Recycling Policy Team in DAERA who covered policies to the address the issue of single use plastics and Claire Hudson who shared insight into the work of Keep NI Beautiful in fulfilling its vision for a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Northern Ireland. Peter Martin and Bronagh Millar from PPRC spoke on the positive aspects of plastics and the role of bioplastics in reducing dependency on fossil fuels respectively.  Following the seminar, tours of PPRC laboratories were given and the visitors witnessed the various processes by which everyday items are manufactured and the ease with which plastics can be reshaped and recycled.

On Wednesday 26th June a Litter Pick was undertaken on gloriously sunny Tyrella Beach.  The waste collected was segregated on site and the plastic brought back to the PPRC in preparation for a Recycling Workshop to be undertaken on 10^th July in the course of which, participants will make a coaster from waste plastic.