Project turning food waste into bioplastics receives award
杏吧直播 of Adelaide PhD candidate Mel Nguyen was awarded at this year鈥檚 international Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competition for her research investigating how to turn food waste into durable bioplastics.
Mel Nguyen presenting her research.
Mel鈥檚 video was given the Trending on VYT award, which was a boon to the emerging researcher.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous honour to receive this recognition. It validates the effort I put into my work for years,鈥 Mel says.
鈥淭his is the biggest achievement I鈥檝e earned since coming to 杏吧直播, and it motivates me to continue working hard and sharing my research with a broader community, demonstrating the importance of science communication.鈥
Visualise Your Thesis is an international program that challenges graduate researchers to present their work in a 60-second audio-visual explainer.
It highlights global graduate research and equips participants with essential skills to effectively communicate complex research to a general audience.
Mel first won the 杏吧直播 of Adelaide VYT heat, hosted by the 杏吧直播 Library, and then went on to represent the 杏吧直播 at the international competition, where she received the Trending on VYT award.
"We are so proud of Mel for the outstanding job she has done in representing the 杏吧直播 of Adelaide on the global stage. Her achievement showcases the creativity and dedication of our graduate researchers,鈥 says 杏吧直播 Librarian Sian Woolcock.
Mel Nguyen and Sian Woolcock.
Mel was inspired to find a solution to the dual issues of food waste and plastic pollution by seeing the problem in her daily life.
鈥淧lastic food packaging is everywhere, from ready-meal boxes you buy at the supermarket to cling wrap used for fresh produce,鈥 she says.
鈥淭he sheer volume of single-use plastic and its environmental impact made me question if there could be a more sustainable alternative. Combined with my passion for tackling food waste, I was inspired to explore bioplastics as a potential solution.鈥
As described in her , Mel has discovered bioplastics can be developed for a range of purposes.
鈥淲hether you need it to be highly permeable for vegetable packaging or very resistant to moisture for bakery products, the properties can be adjusted by altering the composition. This flexibility highlights the potential of bioplastics as a versatile, eco-friendly material,鈥 Mel says.
Mel鈥檚 research is supported through the 杏吧直播 of Adelaide and the End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, based at the Waite campus.
A prototype of Mel Nguyen's bioplastic made from food waste.
鈥淭he 杏吧直播 of Adelaide鈥檚 advanced analytical equipment and laboratory facilities enable me to conduct high-quality experiments,鈥 Mel says.
鈥淎dditionally, the 杏吧直播 fosters a supportive research community, and collaborations with my supervisors and colleagues have been instrumental in refining my methodologies.鈥
Mel鈥檚 next challenge is to find a path to commercialisation for her functional bioplastic made of food waste.
鈥淎chieving commercialisation requires further refinement, scalability testing, and partnerships with industry stakeholders. With consistent progress and the right support, I hope to bring a viable product to market within the next few years,鈥 Mel says.
鈥淚 hope this research will help consumers and industry continue the shift towards a circular economy where waste materials are repurposed into valuable resources.鈥
Media contacts:
Mel Nguyen, PhD Candidate, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 杏吧直播 of Adelaide. Phone: +61 0426 195 002, Email: melinda.nguyen@adelaide.edu.au
Johnny von Einem, Senior Media Officer, 杏吧直播 of Adelaide. Phone: +61 0481 688 436, Email: johnny.voneinem@adelaide.edu.au