he Pentland Centre is holding a research explainer session, led by Dr Alison Stowell which will explore the challenges of reducing plastic use through the lens of the Plastic Free July campaign and the PPiPL project. This session is part of a series designed for our Professional Services members, and open to Professional Services colleagues across the University, as well as academic colleagues who may not have expertise in the topic. The sessions are designed to present research expertise in straightforward language, making it easier for non-academic staff to engage with the speaker's work.
Plastic Free July is a global campaign that challenges individuals to avoid single-use plastics for the duration of a month, with the aim of reducing plastic waste and its impact on the world by altering our lifestyle habit. The Plastic Packaging in People’s Lives (PPiPL) project team have been exploring these issues. Over three and a half years, we examined how plastic food packaging is embedded in everyday life—looking across the entire supply chain from production to disposal. A key focus was understanding the attitude-behaviour gap: why people who care about plastic waste still struggle to change their lifestyle habits.
In this talk, Dr Alison Stowell will share insights about our experiences of taking part in Plastic Free July as a research team. She will reflect on the challenges the team faced, what surprised the team, and how the team’s personal experiences connect with the broader insights from the PPiPL project. It’s been revealing—and sometimes humbling—when putting theory into practice.