Fighting plastic waste with the power of citizen science

It’s almost impossible to imagine modern life without plastics. Inspired by the ancient use of naturally occurring polymers, 19^th century chemists discovered polystyrene, PVC and polyethylene, among others. It wasn’t until 1907, however, that the first fully synthetic plastic was invented by Leo Baekeland – the eponymous Bakelite.

Over 100 years later, plastics are ubiquitous in almost every area of our lives. And while these materials are of indisputable value, enabling the production of cheaper and more effective goods that have enhanced standards of living for many, the negative environmental impacts are difficult to quantify.

The solution to our ‘plastics problem’, much like the origin, will likely lie with chemists. But perhaps, in addition to designing more environmentally friendly solutions, we also need to seek help from citizen scientists and crowdsourced chemists.