In the United Kingdom, specialty chemical maker Croda International Plc and the Universities of Nottingham and York are collaborating to develop novel, sustainable polymers for liquid formulations.
Such polymers are used for emulsification and formulation stabilization in a number of day-to-day items, including crop protection and personal care products. Royal Society of Chemistry estimates that more than 36 million metric tons of these polymers—enough to fill Wembley Stadium 32 times over—are not recovered after use and instead enter the environment as plastic waste.
“This is a great opportunity to further explore the potential of bioderived, biodegradable soluble polymers, understanding the different properties they can offer relative to current petrochemically-derived ingredients, and having an impact in an important, and often overlooked area,” says Professor Helen Sneddon, Director of the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York.