More than 50 people tuned in for a virtual panel discussion, CAES Currents: Trash Talk, focusing on recycling, plastics, and sustainability that CAES hosted on October 19.
Boise State University, INL, and University of Idaho were represented on the panel, along with DOE and a national organization, the US Waste and Recycling Association.
The discussion centered on the impact of changes in policy in China on recycling programs and the waste industry in the US. Panelists discussed their roles in responding to the changes and the ways in which they are working to reduce the waste stream and reverse the increasing nature of the US as a disposable society. From the DOE’s Plastics Innovation Challenge to the use of plastics in asphalt, the panelists’ work addresses the issue in a variety of ways.
CAES Currents panels are held in response to global events, providing a forum for students, researchers, and the public to gain insight into the event, discover opportunities and solution-based outcomes, and increase dialogue among CAES affiliates leading to further collaboration and education. CAES Currents is formatted as a panel discussion featuring experts from the CAES entities with experience relevant to the topic. Audience participation is key, however; the goal is to present an engaging Q-and-A forum that covers a range of topics currently happening in the world and communities alike.
A recording of the presentation is being edited and will be available soon.
