Episode Details

Plastics are so useful, cheap and durable that they transformed the twentieth century — and so long-lasting that they've become one of the defining environmental problems of the twenty-first. This episode explains what plastics actually are at the molecular level, why the very properties that make them wonderful also make them a waste nightmare, and what the science says about the problem and the possible ways out.

You'll come away understanding what a polymer is, why long-chain molecules are so strong and versatile, why most plastics don't break down, what microplastics are, and why recycling is harder than it sounds.

Talking Science is sponsored by Kinsoft. Visit www.kinsoft.com.au

Further reading: Royal Society of Chemistry – “Polymers”; UN Environment Programme – plastic pollution; Science journal – reviews on plastic degradation and recycling.