Recycling isn't enough to slow plastic pollution, WA scientists say

anna Armstrong took her bioplastic to the Eastern Washington Regional Science and Engineering Fair, where she took first place for her invention and went on to compete virtually in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia, where she placed fourth in the world in the environmental engineering category this year. Judges there helped her talk through how to reduce water usage when creating the bioplastic film and coached her on how to describe her work.

 

This fall she’s starting college at Western Washington University, where she plans to major in environmental science and minor in environmental justice. Ultimately, she wants to get her Ph.D. in mycology (the study of fungi, such as mushrooms) as she continues developing her product, which she hopes to see on store shelves one day.