Jordi Díaz receives the City of Benicarló Literary Award on scientific dissemination

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The awarded work raises an urgent debate on the paradox of plastics, compounds w
The awarded work raises an urgent debate on the paradox of plastics, compounds with multiple applications that cause a high environmental impact across the planet.
Plastics are all’around us: we find them in the packaging we use every day as well as in sophisticated medical devices. But could we live without them? Jordi Díaz, technician at the Scientific and Technological Centres of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB), presents this hypothesis in the book Un mundo sin plásticos, ¿es posible? (Onada Edicions), which has just been awarded the City of Benicarló Literary Award in the scientific dissemination category. The author won this same prize in 2019 with La aventura de Berta en Nanoland, a literary invitation to discover the secrets of the nanoscopic world thanks to some of the most relevant researchers in the history of science.

The City of Benicarló Literary Awards, now in their ninth year, will be presented on 26 April as part of Book Week in Benicarló. This year, these awards have also honoured Eugenia Román (in the category of illustrated children’s album) and Gregorio Royo (juvenile narrative).

The world of plastics: benefits and environmental threats


In the book, Díaz invites readers to engage in an urgent debate on the paradox of plastics: they are an indispensable material, but they threaten the environment. The expert does so in an informative style that combines scientific rigour, fascinating stories and an analysis of the role of plastics. The book’s first edition is published in Spanish, and will also be published in Catalan.

"It’s not about demonizing plastics, but about understanding their role and seeking sustainable solutions", says the author, who is also a member of the UB’s Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB).

In an entertaining style and full of anecdotes, the book traces the history of plastic materials: from their invention to how they have shaped modern society. At the same time, readers will learn about both the benefits of this material (applications in biomedicine, technology or safety, among others) and the environmental problems it entails (pollution, microplastics, etc.). Without offering easy answers, the author proposes a revealing journey through the world of plastics to question everything: are they a necessary evil, can we reduce their consumption without renouncing progress? He also explores alternatives such as the circular economy and recycling to ensure a more sustainable future.

In 2021, Jordi Díaz received, together with Professor Carme Junyent, the 8 UB’s Doctor’s Senate and the UB’s Board of Trustees Awards for best scientific and humanistic dissemination activities, which aims to promote the dissemination of scientific knowledge in society as a whole. In 2022, he received the Catalan Society of Chemistry Award for Dissemination Activity, in recognition of its work in the dissemination of chemistry to improve the training on the culture of chemistry among the general public.