The River Detective: Jamie Woodward on Microplastics and Sewage Scandals

Prof. Jamie Woodward (University of Manchester) on how microplastics get from your washing machine to local rivers  and how his research on Manchester's waterways ended up shaping UK water policy. We cover the sewage scandal, water company spin, and what actually needs to change.

In this episode:

• What actually counts as a "microplastic" (and why the name is misleading)
• How microplastics get from your washing machine to the river
• The science of sampling and identifying plastics in riverbeds
• Why Jamie's research on Manchester's rivers ended up shaping UK policy
• The sewage scandal: water companies, regulators, and public anger
• What one country is getting right  and what needs to change here
• Simple things you can do to help protect your local river

Guest: Professor Jamie Woodward, physical geographer and geomorphologist, University of Manchester. Author, and twice named on the ENDS Power List of the UK's most influential environmental academics.

🔗 Catch Jamie's previous episode on the history of the Earth — Spotify link 

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