The Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth has been recognised by the "Oscars of higher education".
The Revolution Plastics Institute (RPI) has received recognition for the crucial role it is taking in the global battle against plastic pollution.
The Institute - which is a collaboration of leading researchers, academics and scientists at the University of Portsmouth - has just been shortlisted for a significant award at the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.
For the second year running, RPI has been shortlisted for the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership’ accolade, helping to cement Portsmouth as one of the UK's leading universities in environmental sustainability.
It aims to urgently transform our understanding of the global plastics crisis through inclusive, solutions-focused research and innovation to support the transition to a sustainable plastics future.
This year Revolution Plastics celebrated a significant milestone, evolving from an initiative that began in 2020, to an Institute made up of around 100 staff and 20 PhD students.
Revolution Plastics Institute
I think that what's really sad
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is that the state of our planet right now
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is that it is
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drowning under the plastic waste.
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Whether it's macroplastics,
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microplastics
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or nanoplastics,
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we now find these plastics
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everywhere on the planet.
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From the top of the tallest mountain
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to the bottom of the deepest ocean.
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We're seeing it
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washing up on our shores all around us
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as we speak.
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We also find them in our bodies.
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It's out of control.
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The environmental and ecological challenges
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we're facing are that plastics are interfering
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with healthy functioning of ecosystems.
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We have got a chemical crisis,
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the biodiversity crisis
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and the climate crisis.
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It's been estimated that by 2025
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there will be more plastics
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than fish in the ocean.
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The Revolution Plastics Institute has a really strong
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mission driven research agenda
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to tackle the negative effects
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of plastic pollution
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across the entire plastics lifecycle.
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Collaboration within our group
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in the University of Portsmouth
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is absolutely essential
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to finding how to deal
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with the problem of plastics.
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We need to be able to live sustainably.
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And to do that,
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you need to have those people
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that understand the different components
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of how society works.
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We can have all the scientific
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and economic and social evidence we need,
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but ultimately it's about changing policy
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to actually make a difference.
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Industry is not aware about
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what the chemical composition
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of their plastics is,
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what happens when it breaks down
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and what the effect of that is
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when it's made into something else.
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Researchers leading the direction
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in terms of gathering knowledge and sharing
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recommendations is the only way
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we're going to move the dial.
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The research has an incredibly
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important role to offer.
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We know that political education,
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when packaged publicly in an accessible way,
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can totally transform
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the way that people envision
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a sustainable future.
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Portsmouth as a case study site
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is a very interesting place
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because it's an island city.
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It is a mesocosm of
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what's going on around the UK
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and what's going on around the globe.
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Portsmouth is the perfect place
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to host the Revolution Plastics Institute
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because Portsmouth as a city exhibits
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all of the challenges
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we face when trying to tackle
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the global plastics crisis.
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So we can test out solutions
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and ideas here
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that we can apply elsewhere
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and hopefully scale up
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to make a real difference.
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If you have hundreds,
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thousands of people collecting data,
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you can really build up a good picture
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of what's happening in our environment.
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The goal of the Revolution Plastics Institute
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is to bring people with us on a journey,
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whether you're in government.
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in the private sector,
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in a campaign group
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or a member of the public.
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We've all got a role to play in tackling
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the global plastics crisis,
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and that's what our institute will do.
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We are accumulating vast amounts of plastic waste.
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We've produced more plastic
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in the last 10 years
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than in the previous 100 years.
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We're currently producing 400 million tonnes
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of plastic waste per year.
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That's set to double by 2040.
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And of that plastic waste,
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only 9% is being recycled.
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We need to be challenging the status quo
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and we need to transform
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the way that we work with plastics.
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Our plastic waste is an enormous symptom
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of our addiction to fossil fuels.
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This has resulted
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in a very difficult state for our planet,
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but crucially,
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it's resulted in a lot of people
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feeling like they can't see a way out,
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a way to live without plastic.
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The abnormal has become completely normal,
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and people can't actually remember
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a time when these plastic mountains weren't present.
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It’s very important that everyone takes action
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right now, and not tomorrow
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and not the day after.
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Not after a year, or after ten years.
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We need that action right now.
It advises governments on national, regional and global action plans and effective policy options, and it is closely involved with the current UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations - the most important environmental deal since the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change.
Projects extend across all University faculties with research from departments such as fashion, criminology, technology, marine science over the academic year. Examples include collaborating with the Donkey Sanctuary in Nairobi to understand more about the damage done to livestock ingesting plastic, research into excess use of plastic used at police crime scenes, and fashion students designing clothes from plastic waste.
Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute, Professor Steve Fletcher, said: “The RPI team is delighted to be shortlisted for this award for the second year running. The urgency to find solutions to plastic pollution is now more pronounced than ever.
"Plastic pollution transcends the visible waste that litters our environment - microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume. It encompasses a spectrum of pollutants released at every stage of the plastic life cycle – extraction, manufacture, use and disposal. With concerted efforts and unwavering resolve, the Revolution Plastics Institute aims to play it’s part in a legacy of a healthier planet, free from pointless plastic waste.”
These are the 20th annual THE Awards - widely known as the "Oscars of higher education" - recognising excellence across the UK and Irish sectors during the 2022-23 academic year.
There are 19 categories this year, plus the special THE Outstanding Achievement Award. All winners will be announced at the ceremony Thursday 28 November 2024 at the ICC in Birmingham.
THE editor John Gill said: “In 2024 it’s fair to say that higher education is going through a challenging period, but these awards are a constant reminder that we should never underestimate the dedication and drive of those who work in our universities to transform lives for the better.
“Enthusiasm for these awards as a way to celebrate those achievements remains undimmed, with more entries in our 20th year than ever before.”
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