With passion for less plastic and more biomaterials

“We in Europe need a change in terms of plastics consumption and must focus on biomaterials in the future.” - Samir Kopacic, researcher at the TU Graz, Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology, is the winner of the Heinzel-Mondi-Sappi Award 2020. This award is for researchers under 35 years of age who have published outstanding scientific work in the field of sustainable utilization of wood, pulp and paper.

Samir dedicates his research to the development of multi-functional biopolymers that can be applied to paper or even completely replace plastic: “We currently have nearly eight billion people on our planet. If we continue to consume as much plastic as we do now, we will have more and more non-biodegradable plastic waste in our environment and increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere in the coming years.”

Between October 2008 and October 2014, Samir received a Mondi Austrian Student Scholarship for his bachelor and his master degree. This scholarship was implemented by the OeAD and financed by Mondi Austria Packaging.

Read here about Samir's research and why he has chosen a career in green technology.