Author: Gillian

The widespread use of single-use plastics (SUP) is a growing environmental issue, particularly in Thailand, where plastic waste poses significant challenges. A recent study by Dr Oluseye Oludoye, focusing on Thai university students, explores the factors influencing their efforts to reduce plastic consumption, offering valuable insights for promoting sustainability. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the research examined how attitudes, perceived control, and social influences affect students’ intentions at different stages of behaviour change.

The findings show that while positive attitudes towards reducing SUP are important, they only encourage action among students already contemplating change. In contrast, students’ belief in their ability to make a difference—perceived behavioural control—proved crucial across all decision-making stages. Social influences also played a key role in shaping initial attitudes, highlighting how peer dynamics can motivate change.

These insights are essential for educators and policymakers aiming to foster sustainable behaviours. Campaigns tailored to different stages of behaviour change can be more effective, and leveraging social influence through student-led initiatives could further encourage action. The study also suggests that reducing SUP might inspire students to adopt other sustainable practices. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of engaging young adults in environmental efforts and paves the way for a more sustainable future.

Continue reading “New Study Examines University Students’ Attitudes Toward Single-Use Plastics” →

In our ever-evolving world, environmental sustainability has become a crucial topic of discussion. One of the most pressing challenges we face is the issue of single-use plastics (SUP). These materials, while convenient, have become pervasive in daily life, and their environmental impact is significant. In this context, a recent collaborative study shines a light on the pro-environmental behaviour (PB) of Thai communities regarding the reduction of SUP, particularly in food packaging.

Published in Scientific Reports, part of the Nature journal portfolio, the study was led by Oluseye Oludoye from Teesside University in collaboration with partners from Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), University of Lagos (Nigeria), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), and University of California Davis (USA). It examined how residents from rural (Sichang Island) and urban (Nonthaburi city) areas of Thailand approach SUP reduction and what motivates their behaviour.

The study found that morality significantly influenced SUP reduction in both, rural and urban areas, but with an interesting twist. Rural residents were more driven by rational decision-making, while urban residents were motivated by moral values when choosing to reduce their plastic use. These insights are invaluable for policymakers looking to develop targeted sustainability initiatives that resonate with the specific motivations of different communities.

As we continue to face environmental challenges, knowing what motivates people to reduce plastic use can help create better solutions and encourage more sustainable habits in our everyday lives.

Continue reading “New research tackles single-use plastics in Thailand” →

Leopards (Panthera pardus) and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) face several threats including habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict, and infectious disease. Dr Desiré Lee Dalton (Lecturer, Teesside University) and collaborators investigated the diversity of genes involved in the initial detection and defence against infectious diseases in modern Southern African cheetahs and leopards as well as historic cheetah samples and samples of different cheetah subspecies. We found that diversity was lower in cheetah than in leopards. In addition, historic cheetahs from all subspecies exhibited greater genetic diversity than modern Southern African cheetahs. Thus, indicating that cheetah have further lost diversity recently as a result of a population declines within the last 150 years. These results have identified that Southern African cheetahs may not be able survive future infectious diseases.

If you’d like to read more about this research, you can access the paper from the publisher’s website with this link.

This recent paper was the accumulation of work by Helga Halldorsdottir with TU Earth and Environment researchers, Gillian Taylor and Rhys Williams (now at Loyola Maryland University), involving some huge data sets and really novel results. The experiment set-up was amazing…

The research used non-destructive Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)-Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) analysis to reveal fascinating insights into how leather decays over time. The research focused on vegetable-tanned and archaeological leather from the Roman site of Vindolanda, UK. By analysing leather at different stages—raw, tanned, buried, and archaeological—the study observed how burial in wet soil leads to rapid changes, particularly the breakdown of lipids, while collagen remains intact. The findings suggest that de-tanning occurs quickly in waterlogged conditions, making archaeological leather resemble untanned leather.

One of the most interesting takeaways is that modern unburied leather doesn’t provide an accurate comparison to ancient samples, but experimentally buried leather does. Although de-tanning happens soon after burial, vegetable-tanning still plays a role in long-term preservation. The research also hints that mineral components in the leather may influence its preservation. Overall, the study highlights the complexity of leather decay and opens up new possibilities for understanding how ancient materials survive over time.

If you want to learn more about the research, you can read the paper in the journal RSC Advances here.

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