The Open Conversation Series "Plastic: The Global Challenges of a Wonder Material" is an interdisciplinary lecture series exploring plastic from scientific, social, technological, and industrial perspectives.
Plastic has become central to modern life imposing the environmental and health challenges associated with plastic production and waste, thus requering development of social, technological, and industrial routes for addressing these challenges.
Across six lectures, students will explore plastic consumption and behaviour, recycling and awareness-raising, new technologies for plastic degradation and recycling, industrial approaches to circular product design, and the development of more structured and circular plastic systems.
The series concludes with a panel discussion bringing together perspectives from across the lectures and discussing how different actors can contribute to a more circular approach to plastic.
Target audience
The series is aimed at students from a broad range of academic fields, including natural sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and sustainability studies, social sciences, business and management, design, health sciences, and humanities.
The series is especially relevant for students interested in plastic, consumption, waste management, recycling, circular economy, sustainability, materials, technology, industry, and societal change.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the lecture series, participants will be able to:
- Understand the environmental, social, technological, and industrial dimensions of plastic consumption and waste management.
- Evaluate and compare different approaches to addressing plastic waste, including recycling, reuse, new recycling and degradation technologies, product design, and circular systems.
- Analyse how consumer behaviour, industry, technology, waste-management systems, and societal structures interact in shaping plastic consumption and waste.
- Reflect critically on interdisciplinary solutions to plastic-related challenges and identify the roles and responsibilities of different actors in developing more circular plastic systems.
Lecture Schedule
The Plastic Problem: What are we dealing with?
Troels Skydstrup - Professor of Organic Chemistry, Aarhus University
The Plastic Paradox: Why do we keep using it?
Gauri Pathak - Associate Professor at the Department of Global Studies, Aarhus University
Time: 27 October 2026 at 15.15-16.45 (CET)
Place: Online and iNANO Auditorium 1593-012)
Led by:
- Giulia Romano - Associate Professor at the Department of Economics and Management, Pisa University
- Anders Laursen - Project Manager, REUSABLE, Aarhus Municipality
Time: 3 November 2026 at 15.15-16.15 (CET)
Place: Online and iNANO Auditorium 1593-012
Led by:
- Andreas Sommerfeldt, Consultant, Danish Technological Institute
- Daniel Otzen, Professor of Protein Biophysics, Aarhus University
Time: 11 November 2026 at 15.15-16.15 (CET)
Place: Online and Auditorium F 1534-125
Led by:
Jacob Arnbjerg, Lead Sustainable Materials Specialist, Grundfos
Time: 17 November 2026 at 15.15-16.15 (CET)
Place: Online and iNANO Auditorium 1593-012
Led by:
- Asger Holm Agergaard, Consultant, InFACT, Danish Technological Institute
- Finn Wiedemann, Co-founder & CEO, GLYON
Panel Debate: Can We Make Plastic Circular?
Time: 24 November 2026 at 15.15-16.45 (CET)
Place: Online and iNANO Auditorium 1593-012
Contact
If you have any question on the lecture series, please contact:
Morten Foss, Academic Chair and Senior Researcher at Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University: foss@chem.au.dk.
