In an interview featured in recent news articles, Dr. Mohammad Arjmand, Canada Research Chair in advanced materials and polymer engineering at UBC Okanagan and leader of the Plastic Recycling Research Cluster, highlighted groundbreaking research efforts. The cluster is dedicated to enhancing the properties of recycled plastics, making them more resilient to factors such as heat, corrosion, and even conducive to electricity. Their breakthroughs have the potential to create plastics with electromagnetic shielding properties, similar to those found in cellphones but lighter and more cost-effective. They are exploring the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic found in food and beverage containers, to achieve this.

 

Dr. Arjmand emphasizes that there is untapped value in plastics sent to landfills, and with scientific solutions and public awareness, this hidden value can be harnessed to generate wealth.