How can we reduce the impact of plastic on the environment?

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 August 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Next month world leaders will again gather to focus on dealing with our global plastic problem. So this week we’re looking for solutions. Marnie Chesterton hears from Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, Rachael Rothman on how we can engineer safer, more environmentally friendly plastics.

And at the other end of the plastic spectrum, she hears about the clean up operation after the world’s biggest ocean spill of nurdles – tiny plastic pellets which are used to make plastic products. Investigative environmental journalist Leana Hosea brings the results of her investigation into the clean up after the X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire and sank 4 years ago.

Mark Miodownik, University College London Professor of Materials & Society returns to the studio with the results of a citizen science project to try to get more data on potty training. It aims to encourage parents to get toddlers out of nappies earlier.

And Penny Sarchet, managing editor at New Scientist brings her pick of this week’s newest scientific discoveries.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Clare Salisbury and Dan Welsh Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:04.9	Hello, you have downloaded BBC Inside Science with me, Marnie Chesterton.
0:09.1	This programme first aired on the 10th of July 2025.
0:13.5	This week, all our science stories share a connection.
0:17.6	The material of our era, our legacy for archaeologists from future civilizations, it's plastic.
0:25.1	It's amazing stuff, but we haven't yet nailed how to not dump it all over the planet.
0:31.7	Major global talks on plastics are ramping up. Could this summer be the point when the world
0:36.9	finally agrees to take this
0:38.5	problem seriously? Against this backdrop, we'll be looking at plastics from the origins to ocean
0:44.2	pollution and how science can help. I'm joined in the studio by not one, not two, but three people
0:50.5	with science stories you'll want to hear. Leanna Hosia is a modern day Orwell, an environmental investigative journalist here to tell us about the legacy of the largest ocean plastic spill ever recorded.
1:03.1	Welcome, Leanna.
1:04.2	You're going to teach us a new word.
1:06.6	Yes, that word is nerdal.
1:08.5	And if you haven't heard it before, you're going to know all about it very soon.
1:13.0	I'm going to tell you where it is and why it's so problematic.
1:17.3	Brill.
1:17.9	And talking of clean-ups, Mark Mierdovnik, University College London,
1:21.7	Professor of Materials and Society,
1:24.2	is here to bring us updates on a project that should help us to throw away less plastic.
1:30.6	Give us a clue, Mark.
1:31.6	Yes, this is an update from our Cedars and Science project, which we launched on this program in March,
	...

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