Plastic pollution has now been found within multiple ecosystems across the globe, from the summit of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Marina Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Understanding the sources and critical drivers of plastic emission into the environment and subsequent pathways into the ocean is fundamental to reduce the overall anthropogenic impact on our ecosystems.

This webinar will explore sources of plastic in the environment, where they go, and their potential final fate. As part of the Plastics in Indonesian Societies (PISCES) research programme, this webinar will also focus on our latest research in delivering a holistic approach to understanding and managing the risks posed by plastic pollution in Indonesia. This ongoing research aims to provide evidence-based solutions and system-change interventions to support real change in government policies, industrial practices, and consumer behaviour.

Our speaker

Max Kelly is a marine scientist and a research fellow within the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, focusing on understanding the fate of plastic in the environment. As part of the wider GCRF Systems Analysis Approach to Reduce Plastic Waste in Indonesian Societies (PISCES) project, Max is helping lead litter surveys across Indonesia to categorise and quantify litter from the point of release into the environment and at increasing distances from source to sea.

Max's previous research has provided novel biotechnological approaches to reduce the environmental burden of laundry, and he also studied the colonisation and biodegradation of plastic by microorganisms in extreme environments discovering novel members of the deep-sea plastisphere.