In a new initiative, the New South Wales government is offering $1.25 million in grants for research aimed at addressing challenges in the plastics industry.
Individual grants ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 will be awarded to research projects focusing on three key areas: identifying harmful chemicals in plastic products, understanding the factors affecting the quality and circularity of plastics, and enhancing the capacity to measure microplastics in the environment.
The Plastics Research Program aims to establish New South Wales as a leader in developing innovative solutions for plastic waste management. Additionally, the program seeks to address knowledge gaps to better protect the environment and public health.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible for the design and implementation of the program, encouraging grantees to combine efforts in Stream 1, which is about understanding harmful chemicals; Stream 2, which focuses on factors impacting plastics' quality and circularity; and Stream 3, which focuses on enhancing the capacity to measure microplastics in the terrestrial environment of New South Wales.
Funding for this program is provided under the NSW Government’s $356-million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041.
For more information, visit NSW EPA’s Plastic Research Program.
