Faculty First Year Seminars 191EHS3 - Problems with Plastics

Over nine billion tons of plastics have been produced, half of that in your lifetime. Most of this is for single-use purposes. How is disposable culture affecting our health, our society, our climate, and the environment? Why is recycling a false solution? Meet UMass researchers from various disciplines who are working to understand and solve these problems. Meet activists from campus and beyond who are working on policy solutions, green chemistry (safer alternatives to plastics), education, and more. With your classmates, you will design and conduct an action research project (which involves collaborative problem solving and reflection on what lessons were learned).

First-year (R1ST)