A sweet solution to plastic pollution
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 27 million tons of plastic were diverted to landfills in 2018. Plastic doesn’t decompose over time. It gets broken into smaller pieces known as microplastics that pollute rivers and oceans. Hongli (Julie) Zhu, an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, has been working on a more sustainable solution, and found inspiration in an unlikely place.
