Embracing an interdisciplinary approach to plastics pollution awareness and action

Abstract

This paper considers how an interdisciplinary approach to the “wicked problem” of plastics pollution offers unique and important collaborative possibilities. Specially, the paper considers the approach of the Synthetic Collective, a group comprising artists, humanities scholars, and scientists. Considering first how artists and scientists might respond differently to tracking, mapping, understanding, and representing plastics pollution, we then look for potential points of commonality across disciplinary difference. In respect to the urgent and multifaceted problem of marine plastics pollution in the Great Lakes region, we ask what are some of the successes and pitfalls of bringing together diverse approaches and interests? The paper concludes with a clear strategy: a set of instructions geared towards building successful interdisciplinary collaborations. Ultimately, we conclude that a strong relationship amongst scientists and artists is possible, fruitful, and indeed warranted when shared goals are the driving principle of the group.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-018-1126-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction

An interdisciplinary approach formally integrates different disciplines, producing a synergy greater than the sum of parts, and thus is ideally suited to and capable of solving “wicked problems”. Wicked problems, as explained by Rittel and Webber (1973), are problems that do not have a definable mission, and for which understanding and resolution controls the questions that require asking. Plastics pollution is considered a wicked problem because pollution of the natural environment with plastic debris is a complex, global problem that cannot be solved within the context of a single discipline. Issues associated with plastics pollution include the following: (1) plastics are mass produced because of their resistance to degradation, low cost of transport, and reduction of cross-contaminants, (2) plastic debris arises from multiple sources, such as storm water outflow, agricultural runoff, spillage, and littering, (3) the amount and timing of plastics being released into the environment are unknown, (4) there are direct and indirect drivers, such as anthropogenic activities and land-use practices, (5) inconsistencies in sampling methodology and data analytics complicate research, (6) management and mitigation practices depend on location and resources, (7) changes in human attitudes and behaviours towards reduction, reuse, and recycling are required, and (8) leadership and unity are necessary for problem solving.

Significant advances in the food, medical, technological, transport, construction, and cosmetic industries have arisen from the use and development of plastics. A consequence of these advances is that commercial plastics production has increased exponentially, with global levels of 335 million tonnes in 2016 (PlasticsEurope 2017). Using calculated inputs of mismanaged plastic waste within 50 km of global coastlines enabled Jambeck et al. (2015) to estimate that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic reached the world’s oceans in 2010. The impacts of plastics pollution on aquatic organisms have been well established and include ingestion, entanglement, neurological and inflammatory effects, transport of invasive species, and adsorption and transfer of pollutants into the food chain (Barnes 2002; Gregory 2009; Gall and Thompson 2015; Kühn et al. 2015). Particularly alarming is plastic litter that cannot be seen because it lies beneath the water surface, in benthic sediment or in landfills (Barnes et al. 2009; Zalasiewicz et al. 2016; Corcoran et al. 2017).

Head and Alford (2015) propose strategies for dealing with wicked problems, including going beyond rational and technical thinking, developing new models of leadership, and most importantly, embracing collaborative work. This article presents a new approach to investigating and mitigating plastics pollution by employing an interdisciplinary research framework built on the disciplines of science and the arts. Our group, the Synthetic Collective, is composed of artists (sculpture, installation, photography, activists), humanities scholars (visual culture, media studies), and scientists (geology, environmental science, biology, chemistry) working together to

1. describe how plastic waste invades, impacts, and is preserved in the environment;

2. provide examples that show the utility of citizen science, outreach, and media outlets;

3. explain how plastic debris is presented in various art forms; and

4. present an interdisciplinary model we have used to tackle the wicked problem of plastics pollution.

Sources, dispersal, and preservation

Plastics dominate all aspects of daily life, but notwithstanding their benefits, there is a lack of appropriate disposal methods as the demand for plastic grows. As of 2015, only 9% of global plastic waste had been recycled, whereas 79% had accumulated in landfills or in the environment (Geyer et al. 2017). Plastics pollute the terrestrial environment as litter, through landfill accumulation, and from spillage within factories, during transport and off-loading. They can reach aquatic environments directly through littering or by transport through water systems. Schmidt et al. (2017) estimate that between 0.41 and 4 × 10⁶ t/y of micro- and macroplastic debris reach the oceans via rivers. Once in oceans, wind-driven surface currents, tides, and waves contribute to dispersal and resuspension of plastics (e.g. Law 2010; Ballent et al. 2013). The debris often become trapped in floating organics and are beached along the strandline (Fig. 1a, b) (Corcoran et al. 2017). Atmospheric fallout is another pathway that microplastics travel to and from urban and remote sites (Dris et al. 2016; Cai et al. 2017).

Fig. 1.

Characteristics of plastics pollution. a Plastics netting and ropes buried sand on Kamilo Beach, Hawaii. b Plastic bottle caps captured in organic matter along strandline of beach on lake Erie, Canada. c Microplastic fragments identified in benthic sediment from Etobicoke Creek, Toronto, Canada. d Horizon of plastic debris in unmanaged landfill near Gowganda, Canada. e Plastic marker horizon at the Erbil Citadel, northern Iraq. Photo courtesy of Jessica Johnson. f Plastic fragment found 5 cm below surface of Kalihiwai Beach, Kauai

Not all plastics remain at the water surface. Common plastics that sink include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used primarily for construction materials, and polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), often used in clothing (e.g. Peng et al. 2017). Low-density microplastics found in benthic sediments (e.g. Ballent et al. 2016; Sruthy and Ramasamy 2017) (Fig. 1c) may result from the presence of mineral fillers, development of biofilms, adsorption of clay minerals, and flocculation with organic matter (e.g. Cole et al. 2013; Setälä et al. 2014; Corcoran et al. 2015; Long et al. 2015).

The majority of terrestrial buried plastic debris is found in unmanaged landfills, cities and developing towns, and in shoreline sediment (Corcoran et al. 2017). In unmanaged landfills, the top layer of debris may be covered with soil to mimic the surrounding landscape (Fig. 1d), but burying plastic only increases its chance of preservation. In developing towns or cities, soil and other aggregate material may be dumped and buildings erected directly over plastic debris (Fig. 1e). This produces a plastic “marker horizon” in the sedimentary record (Zalasiewicz et al. 2016; Corcoran et al. 2017). Plastics deposited along shorelines may become buried during storm events or where sedimentation rates are high (e.g. Turra et al. 2014) (Fig. 1f).

Citizen science: the problem comes into focus for all eyes

Silvertown (2009) defined a citizen scientist as “a volunteer who collects and/or processes data as part of a scientific enquiry”. Citizen science is used to increase understanding through public engagement initiatives and projects, and to provide more opportunities for scientific data collection. For example, the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), led by Max Liboiron at Memorial University, Newfoundland combines the social and physical sciences in the study of marine plastics by examining how their representation relates to action. A recent study conducted by Liboiron et al. (2016), applied citizen science methods to identify plastic ingestion rates of Atlantic cod. The researchers analysed 205 gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of gutted cod donated from recreational and commercial fish harvesters during the Newfoundland food fishery in 2015.

Another example of citizen science work is eXXpedition—a group of women who conduct scientific research on large bodies of water. Past eXXpedition voyages to locations including the Arctic, the Caribbean, and Norway have involved water sampling for plastics pollution. The Great Lakes eXXpedition in 2016 was the world’s most extensive simultaneous water sampling endeavour for plastics, which allowed individuals of different ages and professions to collect samples on the water and participate in shoreline clean-ups (Pate and McKinnon 2016) (Fig. 2a). Over 1000 people participated in the event; water samples were collected from the lead scientific boats as well as by citizen scientists in recreational crafts. The water samples were then sent to various labs for analysis. Pate and McKinnon (2016) stress that the event gave participants the chance to document plastics pollution first hand and to re-think the amount of plastic they use in their daily lives.

Fig. 2.

Interdisciplinary approaches to raising awareness of plastics pollution. a Plastic debris collected during a beach clean-up on the day of eXXpedition Great Lakes. b Plastiglomerate sampled by P.L. Corcoran and K. Jazvac on Kamilo Beach. Pencil is 17 cm long. c Researchers sampling plastic pellets during the plastics pollution think tank event held in London, Canada. Participants in photo include earth scientists, artists, a Ichemist, a law student, an environmental scientist, and a government ministry researcher. d Ideas generated by members of the Synthetic Collective, research consultants, and graduate students during the think tank event

Citizen scientists are not only adults. In a study by Hidalgo-Ruz and Thiel (2013), schoolchildren sorted and counted small plastic items in 50 × 50 cm quadrats on Chilean beaches. Individuals from different schools entered their data on a website and all samples were sent to a main laboratory for microscopic analysis and comparison with the data determined by the schoolchildren. The data from 29 schools compared favourably with re-counts done in the laboratory, thus indicating that citizen science projects can be important contributors to the wicked problem of plastics pollution.

Tourists can also act as citizen scientists. Bergmann et al. (2017) involved cruise tourists in quantification of marine litter along beaches of the Svalbard Archipelago. The tourists also took photographs of biota/litter interactions. Of the 991 kg of litter collected, 82–100% was represented by plastic debris. The photographs showed that marine and terrestrial animals, seabirds, and flora interacted with plastic, mainly through entanglement with fisheries-related materials.

These four cited examples of citizen science have common requirements: (1) the samples are easily identified and collected, (2) sampling procedures are clear, and (3) minimal scientific training is required for quantification.

Outreach and media outlets

Providing formal and informal education increases the public’s general understanding about plastics pollution and inspires future social and environmental solutions. Outreach can include information in school curricula, and informal talks in schools, at society meetings, and in public forums. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Alliance for the Great Lakes is a not-for-profit organization that involves educating the public about healthy and safe lakes. The organization also promotes citizen science through their Adopt-a-Beach program, which has involved tens of thousands of volunteers during the 25 years of the program’s existence (Alliance for the Great Lakes 2018). Several nationwide, competitive funding opportunities for marine debris projects are also offered through NOAA. A partnership between Art Road Nonprofit and the Alliance for the Great Lakes has incorporated both science and art into elementary schools. For example, recyclable materials were collected from Lake Michigan shorelines and were used by elementary school students to create fish sculptures that were on display at the Detroit Zoo from April to July, 2017.

Groups hoping to draw attention to plastics pollution will often use charismatic megafauna, such as sea turtles or polar bears to draw attention (Eagle et al. 2015). Protection of these animals is important, but the intense focus on them draws attention away from less visually compelling issues, such as microplastic ingestion by small marine life. A clear example of this kind of creative marketing was seen in the visualization of the “Great Pacific Garbage patch” as a floating dump rather than a nearly invisible miasma of microplastic particles (Liboiron 2015). There is a two-pronged problem here (1) the images advertised are often very narrow in scope, and (2) the conveyance of information does not necessarily equate to changes in plastics management. A collaborative arts and sciences approach can therefore help yield different results.

The most successful outreach campaigns are those that use social media, which allows different stakeholders to connect and communicate across the globe (Kane et al. 2009). Examples of well-known organizations that are tackling plastics pollution through media outreach are provided in Table 1. Many of these organizations use art to engage the public and raise awareness of the issue.

Table 1.

Well-known organizations employing arts and sciences disciplines and public engagement to address the “wicked problem” of plastics pollution

Organization	Goal/mission	Example actions
Algalita https://www.algalita.org	“educate and equip local and global influencers with the knowledge and resources needed to prevent plastic pollution”	Monitoring plastic litter through ocean expeditions; beach and schoolyard clean-ups; Youth Summit; Teacher Workshops; STEM workshops
Alliance for the Great Lakes https://greatlakes.org	“involve tens of thousands of people each year in advocacy, volunteering, education, and research to ensure the lakes are healthy and safe for all”	Involves student and public volunteers in Adopt-a-Beach program; championed federal ban on microbeads; active blog and press releases on website
Bahamas Plastic Movement http://www.bahamasplasticmovement.org	“build a community of education and activism around plastic pollution”, “aim to evolve mindsets and spark cultural practices that will be pivotal in executing changes at the policy level”	Beach surveys; Plastic Pollution Camp for students; Junior Plastic Warrior program for children 2–12; Ocean Ambassador Program for high school students who wish to develop awareness campaigns; Art in Action program
By the Ocean We Unite https://www.bytheoceanweunite.org	“to take people out to our oceans and seas, be it real-life or digitally, and make them aware of the plastic soup our waters have turned into”	Documentaries, lectures, symposia; outreach at fairs and shows; tips on how individuals and organizations can help by reducing and reusing plastic
Litterbase http://litterbase.awi.de/litter	“summarizes results from 1689 scientific studies in understandable global maps and figures and opens scientific knowledge on marine litter to the public”	Developed database that allows creation of maps to illustrate the distribution of litter across the globe; easily accessible to the general public
Monterey Bay Aquarium http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/	Ocean Plastic Pollution program, “reduce the sources of ocean plastic pollution”, “make positive changes for the ocean and the animals that call it home—not just today, but for generations to come”	Works with 21 aquariums in the US to reduce plastics pollution; reduced use of plastic in aquarium operations; annual Ocean Plastic Pollution Summit; #MyBag #MyBolsa campaign; provides volunteer guides, programs, and exhibits focusing on plastic debris
Ocean Blue Project https://www.oceanblueproject.org	“Saving the ocean, beaches, and rivers through education, awareness, and learning projects”	Beach clean-ups; active blog and news on website; online store—funds from sale of items go directly to clean-up and conservation efforts; #goingstrawless petition; photo contest; Blue School Program and Arts Initiative
One World One Ocean Foundation http://www.oneworldoneocean.com	“to spark a global movement to protect our seas, by showing the world just how much we stand to save, if we stand for the ocean”	The Plastics Breakdown media campaign to raise awareness, encourage the public to reduce plastics use, provide communities with tools to spread awareness of plastics pollution
Plastic Ocean Project http://www.plasticoceanproject.org	“to educate through field research, implement progressive outreach initiatives, and incubate solutions to address the global plastic pollution problem, working with and for the next generation to create a more sustainable future”	Hope Spot clean-ups; Fishing4Plastic tournament; travelling art exhibit What Goes Around Comes Around; joined with the company Renewlogy to turn plastic waste into fuel; Green Beans initiative to encourage coffee houses to offer alternatives to single-use plastic items; partnered with Boomerang Bags to offer recycled reusable bags at grocery stores
Plastic Pollution Coalition http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org	“a growing global alliance of individuals, organizations, businesses, and policymakers working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, animals, waterways and oceans, and the environment”	Provides key resources and guides on how to take action against plastics pollution; opportunities to take pledges such as Skip the Straw and ban polystyrene; curricula for K-12 teachers and university instructors; art competition for students to inspire and engage the public
Surfrider Foundation https://www.surfrider.org	“dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network”	Encourages the public, government, and companies to stop using single-use plastics through campaigns such as bag and foam bans, Rise Above Plastics, and Ocean Friendly Restaurants; community outreach and beach clean-ups
Take 3 https://www.take3.org	“to reduce global plastic pollution through education and participation”	Encourages people to take away 3 plastic items each time they visit the beach; beach clean-ups; education programs to schools, communities, and surf clubs
5Gyres Institute https://www.5gyres.org	“to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure”	Science projects such as Trawlshare and Plastic Beach Project; maps of global plastics pollution estimates available online; 18 sailing expeditions that brought scientists, artists and filmmakers together; curricula for students; 1-day expedition opportunities to underserved schools; Bahamas Youth Summit; GyreSailors; Plastic Waters Exhibit 2013–2018

Embracing an interdisciplinary approach

According to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine (2005), the definition of interdisciplinary research is:

A mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.

Tackling the wicked problem of plastics pollution requires researchers to be willing to take risks, be open-minded, and to stretch beyond their singular disciplines. Specific considerations of interdisciplinary research are provided in Table 2. Collaboration should take place from the outset of the research in order to witness substantive, rather than superficial results. This produces unique perspectives of how the issue may connect to broader cultural and scientific concerns. The results from collaborative meetings of the Synthetic Collective indicate that each discipline possesses specific problems and assets when trying to address this issue, including the necessity of artists and activists to fully understand the science that is informing their artistic work in order to communicate effectively. From the science perspective, appreciation is gained of the power of artistic impact not only through communication, but also through contemplating problems and solutions. Working with individuals from different research fields helps showcase strengths, ideas, and networking connections that can ultimately benefit all investigators. As members of the Synthetic Collective, we feel that what is known through science, and what is seen through citizen science, outreach, and education, become significantly more impactful when combined with what is translated through artworks.

Table 2.

Challenges associated with the unique dynamics of interdisciplinary research on plastics pollution

Main dynamics	Initial challenges
A. Project(s) coordination	A1. Identifying a leader
	A2. Recognizing knowledge gaps within and between disciplines
	A3. Harmonizing different research methods and approaches
	A4. Establishing trust between researchers
	A5. Finding the correct group size for optimal communication
	A6. Developing a mission statement
	A7. Developing a strategic plan
	A8. Identifying expertise and areas for growth
B. Time investment	B1. Devoting significant time for startup
	B2. Navigating researcher workloads and availability
	B3. Establishing avenues and opportunities for sustained communication
C. Funding	C1. Lack of appropriate agencies funding interdisciplinary research
	C2. Balancing individual research funding portfolios
	C3. Funding is limited to a specific period of time
D. Nurturing unity in diversity	D1. Immediate confrontation with the limits of one’s own discipline and knowledge
	D2. Investing in cross-discipline immersion to discover new expertise and synergies
	D3. Success depends on the people who are engaged and passionate about the research being conducted
E. Translation to policy	E1. Difficult to recruit necessary stakeholders (e.g. academics, government at all levels, key industries, Indigenous groups, general public)
	E2. Challenging to convince key stakeholders to agree on the problems and solutions
F. Producibles	F1. Identifying the initial and long-term outputs

Art and plastics pollution

As plastics pollution has become widespread, artists have responded by attempting to visualize plastics pollution with the goal of raising consciousness; speculative representations of possible plastic-polluted futures; and efforts to remediate environments. Within these widespread responses, artists, art writers, and humanities scholars grapple with human impact on the globe, and recognize that change must occur through a multiplicity of methods and perspectives.

Artists such as Gayle Chong Kwan, Pam Longobardi, Melanie Smith, and Marc Dion have drawn attention to plastic waste through collecting and displaying salvaged materials in colour-coordinated and aestheticized stacks of waste-turned-art. Chris Jordan’s images of the bodies of dead albatross, their stomachs full of ingested plastics, have been profoundly effective in drawing attention to the problem of plastics in oceans. Maarten Vanden Eynde’s work with the 5 Gyres institute not only participates in ocean research and clean-up efforts, but also uses the collected plastics to make artworks that literally and poetically embody the problem.

A key example of plastics pollution visualization through interdisciplinary collaboration is the description of plastiglomerate, an agglomeration of plastics and natural materials (Corcoran et al. 2014), which resulted in a scientific manuscript, international art exhibitions, lecture invitations, and media coverage (Fig. 2b). Exemplary of interdisciplinary collaboration, plastiglomerate was treated as a geologic sample and a new kind of stone, and also was shown as readymade sculpture in a number of international venues. Specimens from this collaborative fieldwork were accessioned by the Smithsonian Institute and the Yale Peabody Museum. The numerous ways in which plastiglomerate was shared contributed unequivocally to discussions of plastics pollution in diverse and often disparate fields.

Artworks like those described above are often presented to the public through exhibitions curated specifically to show human environmental impacts. Some examples include Gyre: The Plastic Ocean (Anchorage Museum, 2014; Alaska), and most recently, Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials (Palmer Museum of Art, 2018; Pennsylvania). These exhibitions provide accessible forums where people can encounter the problems of plastic waste and can lead to sustained public engagement through education and coordination with local environmental NGOs. For example, Plastic Entanglements provided the opportunity for a year-long conversation on plastics pollution spearheaded through the Sustainability Institute at Pennsylvania State University. This included presentations led by material science engineers, economists, and ecologists, as well as arts education for children.

Artists and art writers often work with scientific evidence, but they can also work speculatively, and in so doing, help audiences make sense of environmental contamination. The Crochet Coral Reef is a project created by the Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles (co-founded by Margaret and Christine Wertheim) that bridges methodologies at the intersection of mathematics, marine biology, craft, and community art practices. The project serves to visualize the environmental crisis of global warming and the escalating problem of oceanic plastic debris by creating coral reefs out of hyperbolic crochet. Viewed by more than three million people, The Crochet Reef is arguably the largest participatory art and science endeavour in the world, with over 10 000 people contributing crocheted corals to the reef. The Crochet Reef has been exhibited at the Smithsonian, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Museum of Art and Design, amongst other places.

Artists employ wide-ranging and adaptable strategies to improve the environment and local economies impacted by contamination including the creative use of legislative loopholes; community activism that reimagines social work and urban planning methodologies; or using art markets and networks to empower and fund citizens who dwell in polluted environments. Mel Chin’s current project Flint Fit addresses the abundance of waste plastic water bottles that have resulted from Flint, Michigan’s lead water contamination. For the project, Flint residents are paid to collect plastic water bottles which will be turned into polyester clothing by Unifi. The clothes, designed by American fashion icon Tracy Reese, will be constructed in Flint, providing minimum-wage jobs for survivors of abuse and poverty at the St. Luke New Life Center. Despite the good intentions of the project, however, it suffers from a deficit of scientific knowledge and collaboration, as it has been documented that polyester clothes shed thousands of with each wash, which end up in water bodies (e.g. Browne et al. 2011). This project doubly underscores our argument for the value of art/science collaboration. Art has strong potential for high visibility and public engagement, yet is most effective in terms of environmental remediation when the related science is well-understood and thoughtfully integrated into the project.

The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a nonprofit organization that has traced the “life” of plastics in Texas, from petroleum to waste filtering into waterways, with the belief that land use is determined through culture. They do not neglect the scientific components of their research, but rather find ways to bridge cultural understandings and values of land-use phenomena with scientific understandings as a research method. Their permanent exhibition space in Los Angeles, as well as roaming exhibition sites across the United States regularly use video, photography, artefacts, artworks and writing to explore the science and politics of a large range of land-use phenomena. These artworks are not created in a vacuum; parallel writing about plastics pollution, environmental studies, and ethics is emerging from scholars in Humanities and Social Science disciplines (Gabrys et al. 2013; Davis 2015a, b; Robertson 2016; Huang 2017).

Findings and interdisciplinary success

Information gained from meetings, workshops and retreats of the Synthetic Collective indicates how each discipline addresses the issue of plastics pollution. The scientists in our group are focused on providing accurate data on the distribution, effects, and composition of plastic debris. Once quantitative and qualitative information is gathered, scientists share it with their peers, the research community, students, and occasionally the public, media, and citizens using tables, figures, and numbers in publications, lectures, or presentations. The artists focus on targeting consumers, citizens, and occasionally policy-makers when trying to address plastics pollution. An artist’s main audience is the public, and thus an artist must convey their work in an interpretive and creative way that targets individuals directly to stimulate an emotional response. Although changing consumer behaviour may be difficult, activist artworks often motivate individuals to change their everyday habits or, crucially, to pressure politicians to change legislation.

When initiating a new interdisciplinary environment, researchers should avoid restriction to traditional methods of project delivery. Rather than coming together at the end, or separating individual tasks to each discipline, researchers need to work together every step of the way to satisfy all short- and long-term goals. Bringing scientific and artistic research to the problem of plastics pollution has enabled our group to (1) engage in field work, workshops, and retreats, (2) publish papers in scientific and art-related journals and books, (3) give joint presentations at conferences and museums, and engage in outreach. In addition, our collaborations include training of undergraduate and graduate students in the laboratory, field and in research techniques. Through course lectures, labs and tutorials, students have learned about the deleterious effects of plastics pollution. Specific activities of the Synthetic Collective led to tangible results of our collaboration. We found success in using our 8-step Interdisciplinary Model, which helped avoid the issues that inherently arise with multifaceted projects.

Step 1. Passion is what drives individual participation. Despite the risks that are associated with joining an interdisciplinary group, researchers with different backgrounds and expertise join because they identify gaps in solving the problem. According to the white paper by Stutchbury et al. (Global Challenges 2015), the magic of interdisciplinary research takes place “when unlikely collaborators find a shared focus for their passions and are supported by stable institutions and programs willing to take risks”. The Synthetic Collective developed from one artist attending a public talk concerning plastics pollution that was hosted by one scientist. Both researchers were passionate about the topic and brought collaborators in from their respective disciplines to participate in meetings to discuss future joint projects.

Step 2. According to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine (2005), communication is “at the heart of interdisciplinarity”. One example that our research group utilized was participating in a think tank workshop, for which the planning and execution was jointly led by a scientist and artists. The workshop enabled individuals from different academic disciplines (Earth Sciences, Arts, Art History, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Biology, Chemistry, Law) as well as local government (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change) to positively interact with one another in different sites, with a focus on visualizing possible outcomes and projects. In doing so, it built trust within the group and enforced healthier future collaboration. The group met in a visited a river, and led by an environmental scientist, used a “BabyLegs” trawl (https://civiclaboratory.nl/2015/05/31/babylegs/) to survey for plastic debris. A field trip to a beach with abundant plastic pellets was led by an earth scientist (Fig. 2c). The group toured through the lab of a chemist who develops polymeric drug delivery systems, and participants attended a tour of a recycling centre in London, Ontario. The think tank part of the workshop was organized and facilitated by three artists.

Step 3. The think tank workshop provided a safe space to pose critical questions regarding plastics pollution, including (1) what is the group’s vision?, (2) what are the planned outcomes?, (3) what resources are needed to achieve specific goals?, (4) what are the next steps?, and (5) who else should be invited? Some of these questions were considered by small (3–4) groups of people in break-out sessions. The results were presented to the group at large and notes were written on a flip chart for future reference (Fig. 2d). If a group is finding it challenging to establish a common goal or framework, it is helpful to look at recent publications that encourage the involvement of different partners, communities, scientists, decision makers, and the public when addressing a wicked problem. For instance, the publication Rethinking Environmental Protection: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing World by Burke et al. (2017), discussed a comprehensive approach for solving environmental challenges and highlights the need for science translation, communication, and education.

Step 4. Sustaining involvement and cooperation within the group depends on the roles and responsibilities that each researcher adopts. The success of an organizational structure rests on how well it fosters communication, enables work activities, and involves joint decision making (Klein 2008). All interdisciplinary research teams require leaders or coaches—people who encourage continued engagement, plan joint activities, and manage the budget. Some groups may have co-leaders, while in other groups, the leadership role may change depending on the nature of planned events or personal connections. For example, in our research group, joint sampling is led by the scientists who have prior experience and knowledge of proper sampling techniques, whereas the artists have organized logistics for museum exhibitions and other forms of cultural interaction. Notwithstanding the expertise in our respective fields, input is not only welcome, but solicited on all decisions related to joint activities.

Step 5. Balancing funding stability and program growth is essential in sustaining an interdisciplinary research group. The amount of funding a project is allotted will determine a group’s short- and long-term goals and help establish the group as a significant force. Funding agencies for interdisciplinary research should make it relatively easy for researchers to apply, be communicative throughout the funding window, and be flexible to delays and changing needs (Global Challenges 2015). Unfortunately, the number of funding opportunities depends on the country, government priorities, and institutional policies. Our group successfully applied for funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada, and the University of Western Ontario. Without this financial support, our interdisciplinary research would not have been feasible.

Step 6. Assignment of specific roles and responsibilities according to each researcher’s academic background should be avoided. When working as an interdisciplinary group, it is essential that communication takes place throughout all decision making. Artists should not focus solely on deciding how to translate the issue in an aesthetically appealing way to the public, and similarly, scientists should not only be involved in making decisions regarding the methods required to gather scientific data. Collaboration should extend to grant proposal writing, identification of other funding sources, creation of a website and database, and most importantly, developing a plan that urges global translation.

Step 7. It is essential to make use of the connections of all collaborators to extend the network into other communities, which could include academics at other institutions, policy makers, industry leaders, government officials, Indigenous peoples, and members of the public. Through art and science presentations, art exhibitions, and publications in art and science journals and books, our group has been able to cast a wide net to expand our network into local communities, as well as municipal, provincial, and federal government organizations. We were also successful at joint mentoring students at undergraduate and graduate levels who were involved with the think tank workshop, and website and database development.

Step 8. Determining the impact of interdisciplinary research is complex because of the multidisciplinary nature of the research, inherent uncertainties in defining the term “interdisciplinary”, and ambiguity in the sources and types of tools with which to evaluate it (Klein 2008; Huutoniemi and Rafols 2017). According to Huutoniemi and Rafols (2017), the three main epistemic values of interdisciplinarity are breadth, integration, and transformation. In our interdisciplinary approach to raising awareness of plastics pollution, the value of breadth is met in our varied skills and visions from different disciplines. Integration, in turn, takes place by taking our disparate knowledge and skills and combining them into a whole through shared meetings, workshops, retreats, and outputs. Our group certainly faced many challenges as outlined in Table 2, such as securing funds, determining who would coordinate different projects and meetings, and finding the time for all members to meet. The success of our integration, however, is a direct result of the shared values we hold concerning the subject matter. In the four years that the Synthetic Collective has been engaged in interdisciplinary research, we have produced numerous outputs that can also be considered as evidence of impact (Table S1).

Conclusion

Bridging the divides between different disciplines, such as the arts, sciences, social sciences, and humanities is the best manner in which to tackle the wicked problem of plastics pollution. The methodologies used by the Synthetic Collective are based in deep interdisciplinary engagement, using results gathered by scientists to produce artworks, artefacts, curatorial interventions, articles, and other knowledge outcomes understandable to academic audiences, policy makers, art supporters, and the public. Scientific-artistic hybrid analytical and interpretive methods create projects that use multiple forms of evidence and platforms to address citizens’ dissociation from the plastic they produce and use. While mobilizing evidence, art works and exhibitions are often specifically designed to elicit strong affective responses in viewers. Often a goal is to change the way viewers think about a problem, and to ideally change their own behaviour or lobby for change. Writer Higgie (2012) asked, “how can change be manifested if it can’t first be imagined?” Indeed, art can act as a catalyst for consumer and industry change by making the scope of plastics pollution visual, and the vast complexities of the wicked problem of plastics pollution conceptually accessible.

The collaborations of the Synthetic Collective developed initially and maintain strength through the interdisciplinarity of arts and science. Most interdisciplinary work involves fields that include multiple sciences or multiple arts, but the joining of arts and sciences achieves a greater breadth of perspective and synergy. This breadth also allows for a greater potential for focused, quantitative scientific research to be better connected to larger cultural concerns and criticality. In turn, humanities scholars consider the cultural nuances of scientific research and contemplate the impacts of plastics pollution on human behaviour and attitudes.

Despite their differences, the link between scientists and artists is strong because they are both passionate about creating and understanding the ‘new’, and aim to share what they have with individuals, whether it be the public or other scientists and researchers.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Biographies

Sara L. Belontz

is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences at Western University. Her research interests include microplastics in lake/river bottom sediments, environmental policy, and sustainability.

Patricia L. Corcoran

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Western University. Her research interests include sedimentary petrology, plastics pollution in sediment and water bodies, and Precambrian geology.

Heather Davis

is an Assistant Professor of culture and media at Eugene Lang College, The New School. Her research interests include the cultural implications of plastic, art, and ecology.

Kathleen A. Hill

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Western University.  Her research interests include genetics, genomics, mutagenesis, retinal degeneration, carcinogenesis, and environmental mutagenesis.

Kelly Jazvac

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Studio Arts at Concordia University. Her research interests focus on salvaged plastics as a sculptural material, including the environmental, political, and economic connotations visually and physically encoded within the medium.

Kirsty Robertson

is an Associate Professor of Museum Studies and Contemporary Art at Western University. Her research interests include museums, activism, and textiles, with a focus on what she calls “petrotextiles”.

Kelly Wood

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University. Her research interests include photography and subjects that relate to the environmental impact of waste accumulation, waste economies, and all forms of visible and invisible pollution.