My guest today is Javier Pérez-Ramírez, a full Professor of Catalysis Engineering at ETH Zurich, director of the NCCR Catalysis, and Chair of the Editorial Board of Green Chemistry. He and his team design chemical solutions to solve one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges, plastic waste. His work has been widely recognized with several awards.
Expect to learn about the magnitude of the global plastic waste problem and the significant discrepancy between the plastic we collect and what is actually recycled, The difference between mechanical and chemical recycling, and the technical barriers that have prevented scalable solutions until now. Javier also shares insights on which countries are leading the way, what Switzerland is doing to contribute, and the single most impactful action an individual can take to ensure their plastic waste has the best chance of being recycled.
CONTACT JAVIER PÉREZ-RAMÍREZ
CONTACT MIKE
https://howitticks.ch/contact-page/
TIMESTAMPS
02:00 The magnitude of the plastic waste problem.
04:40 The current global rate for plastic recycling and what percentage has ever been recycled.
06:15 The discrepancy between the amount of plastic collected and what is actually recycled.
10:00 Switzerland's recycling performance and its focus on incineration.
12:20 The fundamental difference between mechanical and chemical recycling.
17:35 The technical and financial barriers that have blocked chemical recycling until now.
25:25 The realistic timeline for chemical recycling to make a significant impact.
35:00 New initiatives in Switzerland, including the NCCR Catalysis program.
40:30 Advice for individuals: the most impactful action they can take.