To address the problem, researchers are working to create new plastics that biodegrade easier once they end up in the environment or that can be recycled easier. One of those researchers is Dr. Megan Robertson. She’s an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston.
Robertson says researchers want to create new materials that can have a so-called green birth, green life, and green death. By green birth, Robertson says scientists want to create new polymers that come from more environmentally friendly sources, such as plants. Most plastics today are created from petroleum.