A team led by University of Wisconsin–Madison scholars has a plan to turn paper mill waste into plant-based plastics, slashing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution and creating economic opportunities in ways that benefit marginalized communities.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $4 million to fund a collaboration between Wisconsin Energy Institute researchers, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and industry partners. The work will leverage contributions from experts in bacteriology, chemistry, engineering, public policy and the arts.
The goal is to turn a fibrous plant material called lignin into nylon — used to make textiles, carpets and molded plastic — for roughly the same cost as the petrochemical version but with only a fraction of the pollution that causes climate change.
Read more here: https://news.wisc.edu/uw-madison-project-combines-art-policy-and-science-to-create-plant-based-plastics-and-benefit-marginalized-communities/