Rhode Island Bioplastics Symposium

Christopher Ward, Director of the Biodegradability Lab, UMass Dartmouth

Christopher Ward is an aquatic microbial ecologist whose research focuses on microbial community diversity, genomics, and the processes that regulate organic matter degradation in aquatic environments. He is the Director of the Biodegradability Lab and Research Assistant Professor at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology, where his group studies environmental biodegradation using respirometry, molecular methods, and simulated environmental testing systems. His talk will discuss approaches for assessing material biodegradability in simulated environments, with emphasis on how test design, microbial community structure, and ecological context influence biodegradation outcomes. The presentation will also highlight microbial ecology considerations that are critical for interpreting biodegradation data and improving the environmental relevance of standardized testing approaches.

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Joshua Cloutier, Sr Director of New Product Development, Toray.

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Andrew Brousseau, Partner & Compost Manager, Black Earth Compost

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Robert Guillemin, Pollution Prevention Coordinator, EPA Region 1

Rob will present  a broad, federal-level perspective on bioplastics and their potential to break down into microplastics. It will explore the role of microplastics as carriers of PFAS and discuss the potential implications for environmental and human health.

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Logan Beattie, Sustainability Specialist, Xanterra Travel Collection

Logan Beattie is an environmental engineer specializing in sustainable waste management and circular economy solutions. He helped organize the Bioplastics Symposium and developed the educational information sheets featured on this website to help communicate key concepts related to bioplastics, recycling, and waste management.

Alyson Brunelli, Environmental Scientist, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Vinka Oyanedel Craver, Associate Dean of Research and Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rhode Island

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