Do you consider it important to focus on the fight against plastic pollution?

Yes, without a doubt. Plastic materials are very present in our daily lives, and we are not aware of the impact they have on the environment and even on human health.
 

How can this problem be addressed from your research area ?

Plastics are also building materials. They are used in some frequently used products such as insulating materials, waterproof or airtight sheets, pipes, mesh, carpentry or coatings. In some cases, plastics are used because of their high performance or because they are semi-transparent materials.
 

Are you participating in any project related to this issue? Tell us briefly! If not, what project or idea would you like to implement to tackle plastic pollution from your discipline?

Currently we do not have any ongoing project , but we have participated during 2019-2020 in the PAPASS project , funded by the Government of Navarra: Paper solutions to replace plastic materials in anti-infiltration sheets for buildings with almost zero consumption or passivhaus. There are many research initiatives that could be launched with the goal of finding alternative materials to the use of plastics in construction. The current problem of what happens to these plastics at the end of their life cycle should also be addressed, proposing new solutions for their management, treatment and reintroduction into the value chain, from a circularity perspective, which also implies addressing the design of products from this perspective.

* Joaquín Torres Ramo is a professor at the School of Architecture. Learn more about his research.