Richard Thompson is one of the world’s leading experts on plastic pollution. In 2004, he published the first paper describing the long-term accumulation of microscopic fragments of plastic in the environment, naming them ‘microplastics’. He and his team have been at the forefront of microplastics research and have shown their global distribution, the potential for transfer from the gut to the circulatory system, and their role in the transport of chemical contaminants. 

In this fascinating episode, activism and science come together as Lizzie and Richard get to grips with some of the big questions around the way we produce, use and dispose of plastic; why there are huge benefits to using plastic and in manufacturing, some disadvantages of living plastic-free that would in fact have equally negative effects on the environment, the impact of the inevitable and current consumption of plastic via the food chain, and what should we expect when something says “biodegradable” in its marketing.

Resources:

2004 paper coining the term “microplastics”: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/304/5672/838 

2011 Paper on the Accumulation of microplastics globally: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es201811s 

Royal Society Publishing - Plastics Issue compiled by Richard Thompson: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/2009/364/1526 

Article mentioned by Richard published by SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies): https://www.sapea.info/topics/biodegradability-of-plastics/