Materials & Sustainability

I run the UCL Plastic Waste Hub where we do interdisciplinary research addressing plastic waste issues. My areas of expertise are biodegradable and compostable materials, repair and reuse strategies, citizen science, public policy.

Recent Research Publications from this activity:

Ayşe Lisa Allison, Alexandra Băitanu, Danielle Purkiss, Fabiana Lorencatto, Susan Michie, Mark Miodownik (2024) Enabling desired disposal of compostable plastic packaging: an evaluation of disposal instruction labels, Front. Sustain., 30 May 2024, Volume 5 – 2024 |  https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1376519

Nutcha Taneepanichskul, Helen Hailes, Mark Miodownik (2024) Using hyperspectral imaging to identify and classify large microplastic contamination in industrial composting processes, Front. Sustain., 23 May 2024, Volume 5 – 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1332163

Young L, Dawson S, Lavallee D, Miodownik M, Napper I, Thompson R, Wade R (2024). Dangers of disposable electronic devices. Science 384(6694):393

Oldfrey, B., Holloway, C., Walker, J., McCormack, S., Deere, B., Kenney, L., . . . Miodownik, M. (2023). Repair strategies for assistive technology in low resource settingsDisability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. doi:10.1080/17483107.2023.2236142

Taneepanichskul, N., Hailes, H. C., & Miodownik, M. (2023). Automatic identification and classification of compostable and biodegradable plastics using hyperspectral imaging. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4, 1125954.

Sciscione, F., Hailes, H. C., & Miodownik, M. (2023). The performance and environmental impact of pro-oxidant additive containing plastics in the open unmanaged environment—a review of the evidence. Royal Society Open Science, 10 (5), 230089. Read it here.

Taneepanichskul, N., Purkiss, D., & Miodownik, M. (2022). A Review of Sorting and Separating Technologies Suitable for Compostable and Biodegradable Plastic Packaging. Frontiers in Sustainability, 3, 901885. Read it here

Allison, A. L., Lorencatto, F., Michie, S., & Miodownik, M. (2022). Barriers and Enablers to Food Waste Recycling: A Mixed Methods Study amongst UK Citizens. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (5), 2729. doi:10.3390/ijerph19052729

Allison, A. L., Purkiss, D., Lorencatto, F., Miodownik, M., & Michie, S. (2022). Improving compostable plastic disposal: An application of the Behaviour Change Wheel intervention development method. Frontiers in Sustainability, 3, 968152. doi:10.3389/frsus.2022.968152

Purkiss, D., Allison, A. L., Lorencatto, F., Michie, S., & Miodownik, M. (2022). The Big Compost Experiment: Using citizen science to assess the impact and effectiveness of biodegradable and compostable plastics in UK home composting. Frontiers in Sustainability, 3, 942724. doi:10.3389/frsus.2022.942724

Allison, A. L., Lorencatto, F., Michie, S., & Miodownik, M. (2021). Barriers and Enablers to Buying Biodegradable and Compostable Plastic Packaging. Sustainability, 13 (3), 1463. doi:10.3390/su13031463

Chau, C., Paulillo, A., Lu, N., Miodownik, M., & Lettieri, P. (2021). The environmental performance of protecting seedlings with plastic tree shelters for afforestation in temperate oceanic regions: A UK case study. Science of the Total Environment, 791. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148239

Allison, A. L., Ambrose-Dempster, E., Bawn, M., Casas Arredondo, M., Chau, C., Chandler, K., . . . Ward, J. M. (2021). The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks. UCL Open Environment, 3. doi:10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000022