Two of our founders are Professor Jonathan Sharples and Dr Gareth Abrahams.

Jonathan is an oceanographer with an interest in the ecosystems of the world’s oceans, including the phytoplankton which may be impacted by micro and nano-plastics accumulating in the seas.  

Gareth is an architect with experience in planning for renovation of heritage buildings, and interests in the replacement of plastic in buildings with sustainable alternatives.  

Through Jonathan and Gareth, Changing Streams has received strong endorsement from university Vice Chancellor Dame Janet Beer, and work is in progress to develop a research programme to explore how plastic is used in the built environment and how this can be reduced or eliminated in favour of sustainable alternatives.  It is hoped that new building developments around the University will include consideration of plastic components in design and implementation to reduce their ‘plastic footprint’. 

This will require collaboration and innovation to find existing materials and develop new components.  

The Changing Streams and University of Liverpool partnership will be working together and welcome interest from partners in other universities, in companies working in the built environment and innovators developing new materials.