Plastic not so fantastic

Professor Mark Miodownik and Danielle Purkiss (both UCL Mechanical Engineering) found, after a concerted citizen science effort, that plastics labelled “compostable” usually doesn’t break down in a standard compost heap.

Listen: BBC Radio 4 ‘Inside Science’ (from 18 mins 40 secs), BBC Radio 4 ‘PM’ (from 42 mins 30 secs)