UNC Researcher Seeks to Reduce Plastic Waste Through Molecular Changes

Posted Sep 21, 2023
Frank Leibfarth, a University of North Carolina chemistry professor, says one of his lab’s goals is to make the plastics economy more sustainable. His research studies the materials that make up plastics, specifically polyethylene and polypropylene. Those are byproducts of refining crude oil and can be found in everything from packaging to bottles to toys. (Chapelboro.com)

Related: Campus Connections

19+ things to know about UNC Spring Commencement speaker Mia Hamm
Former North Carolina women’s soccer star Mia Hamm (class of 1994) is stepping onto a different field in Chapel Hill on May 10. She’ll join...
Wed May 7, 2025

National drone racing championship comes to Carolina
Carolina doesn’t have a drone team of its own yet, but Joseph Sharp - the fabrication education specialist with the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical...
Wed May 7, 2025

Suki Lin: UNC’s hidden gem
UNC is filled with notable figures but there is one bright star on UNC’s YikYak: the corgi, Suki Lin. Suki first became known to the...
Sun May 4, 2025

Jim Lampley wasn't supposed to fall in love with boxing. Instead, he became its voice
Jim Lampley has been the voice of boxing for a generation, which is remarkable because the assignment was only supposed to last one fight. In...
Fri May 2, 2025