Polytechnique Montréal is pleased to announce a generous donation from Builders Vision Philanthropy to support its Plastocene research initiative. This grant reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to scaling and accelerating innovative ocean solutions. Through this support, Builders Vision Philanthropy is directly contributing to advancing scientific knowledge and the development of practical tools to mitigate plastic pollution.
Left to right: Nadim Saadi, PhD student at CIRAIG; Luc Dauge, Master's student at CIRAIG; Anne-Marie Boulay, Full Professor at Polytechnique Montréal and Executive Director of CIRAIG; Jérôme Lavoie, Analyst at CIRAIG; Ivan Viveros Santos, Analyst at CIRAIG.
An ambitious scientific initiative led by CIRAIG
This donation will help advance an ambitious initiative led by Polytechnique's International Reference Center for Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Transition (CIRAIG). Since its founding in 2001, CIRAIG has been a hub for cutting-edge research on responsible consumption and life cycle assessment (LCA) aimed at making industrial and societal practices more sustainable. Its globally recognized expertise empowers organizations to make more informed and responsible decisions.
In line with the ÇA SE PENSE À POLY fundraising campaign, now in full swing, the Plastocene initiative embodies Polytechnique Montréal's commitment to leveraging engineering knowledge and know-how to address today's most pressing environmental challenges.
Integrating plastic's footprint into environmental analyses
With the Plastocene initiative, CIRAIG's researchers will take the next step: enhancing existing scientific tools by incorporating new metrics to assess the plastic footprint within life-cycle analyses. These metrics will complement established environmental indicators, such as carbon footprint, toxicity and water scarcity, to provide a clearer picture of plastics' environmental impact once they enter ecosystems.
Research will prioritize the effects of microplastics in ocean ecosystems, quantifying their effects on critical natural processes such as carbon regulation. Ultimately, this work is designed to move beyond research. It aims to generate reliable scientific data to inform decision-making and drive actionable sustainability efforts.
The initiative complements a Canada Research Chair led by Anne-Marie Boulay, CIRAIG's Executive Director and a professor at Polytechnique Montréal. As a leading authority on life cycle assessment, she has been instrumental in developing the scientific groundwork and new metrics required for this work.
"This donation will allow us to translate these advances into concrete solutions and make them available to LCA practitioners via a practical guide and online tool to help them integrate plastic footprints into their environmental assessments," says Anne-Marie Boulay, Executive Director of CIRAIG.
Equipping decision-makers and training the next generation
These new tools will be useful for policymakers, businesses and organizations facing complex choices about the materials they use and their sustainability. It will help them make science-based decisions that consider the entire life cycle of plastic products, from production to end-of-life, while taking into account performance, durability and the potential for leakage into the environment.
The Plastocene initiative will also focus on training the next generation of graduate students and research professionals. At the same time, it will mobilize international partners such as the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, broadening the research's scope and impact while fostering global scientific collaboration on this critical issue.
Philanthropy is key to building concrete solutions
Philanthropic support is crucial for accelerating the application of knowledge and its transformation into market-ready solutions, whereas public funding often goes to support fundamental research.
Initiatives such as Plastocene demonstrate Polytechnique Montréal's dedication to leveraging engineering and research to address environmental challenges and contribute to the common good. With the generous support of Builders Vision Philanthropy, this research can now go further, transforming knowledge into action and building a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Learn more
- Expertise profile de la professeure Anne-Marie Boulay
- CIRAIG website
For more information
2500, Chemin de Polytechnique, Bureau A-201, 2e étage
Montréal Québec
Canada H3C 3A7
www.polymtl.ca
