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  3. Chris DeArmitt PhD FIMMM FRSC
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Chris DeArmitt PhD FIMMM FRSC

President
Phantom Plastics
Country or state 
United States (Ohio)
Available to 
Europe,
North America,
...
City 
Cincinnati
Fee 
Languages 
English
Volunteer
No
Timezone 
America/New_York

Personal Details

Current position (1)

President

Phantom Plastics

Achievements (4)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Elected Fellow, the highest rank of membership at an exceptionally young age in 2005. Achieving Fellow status in the chemical profession denotes to the wider community a high level of accomplishment as a professional chemist.

Open Innovation Solver

Have won six open innovation cash prizes via Innocentive. Ranked in the top 0.01% of innovators world-wide.

R&D 100 Award

Prestigious award for commercializing new breakthrough products. This was awarded for POSS flow aids for high temperature plastics.

Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Fellow or Fellowship is the most prestigious IOM3 membership grade. It recognises those who have made a significant contribution. The award of Fellowship is a measure of esteem for both those working in academia and industry.

Degrees (3)
BSc Hons - Chemistry and Polymer Science
University of Sussex
1986 to 1989
MPhil - Chemistry, surface science, polymer science
University of Sussex
1989 to 1990
PhD - Electrically Conductive Polymer Colloids
University of Sussex UK
1990 to 1993

Bio

Horizontal Tabs

Bio #1

Chris is considered one of the top plastic materials experts in the world. Having read over 3000 articles and reports on plastics and the environment he discovered that almost everything we have been told is untrue - the science soundly disproves what we've heard. Covering the science on materials use, waste, litter, ocean plastics, microplastics, degradation and more, his knowledge is unparalleled, which makes his presentations unique and enlightening.

Since publishing his findings in the acclaimed book The Plastics Paradox, he has been in demand as a keynote speaker at conferences and large corporations around the world. As seen on CBS 60 Minutes, the BBC, Sky News and PBS/NPR. His talks are fresh and powerful because every statement is true and backed by solid evidence. Dr. DeArmitt is the only speaker who presents solid evidence on these topics backed up with proof.

A deep understanding of materials, combined with high creativity, allow him to quickly solve even the toughest problems. As one example, he solved a serious production problem that had plagued BASF for 30 years and cost them millions. Chris has also received 6 open innovation cash prizes placing him among the top 0.01% of innovators.

In 2016 he published the book Innovation Abyss which reveals the true reasons for innovation failure and the proven path to success. In 2018 he was featured on CBS 60 Minutes with Scott Pelley as an expert witness in a class-action lawsuit related to Marlex mesh plastic implants. He helped thousands of women get settlements.

Chris has a multitude of granted patents as well as numerous articles, book chapters, encyclopedia chapters and conference presentations to his name. He is a keynote speaker on plastics, plastics and the environment and innovation related topics.

Bio #2

Presentations

Presentations (1)
Plastics & the Environment - The Shocking Truth

I reveal the shocking truth about plastics and the environment. Having read over 3000 scientific articles, I expose the lies we currently believe about plastics...

1 - We are told that plastics are bad for the environment when lifecycle analysis proves plastics are usually the greenest solution
2 - We are told plastics dominate materials but in reality they are less than 1% of materials
3 - We are told plastics create a waste problem, when in reality plastics under 1% of waste and have dramatically reduced waste
4 - We are told that plastics cause litter but studies prove that people cause litter, not materials
5 - We are told plastics take 1000 years to degrade but experiments show that plastic degrades faster than most materials we use
6 - Find out who misled us and why!

By understanding the facts, we can make wise choices for a brighter future.

Past talks (7)
The Plastics Paradox: Fighting fiction with facts
Plastic Pipe Association (PPI) Semi-Annual Meeting
Louisville Kentucky
October 17, 2022
FINALLY THE TRUTH - Learn the facts about plastics & the environment
Plastics Extrusion World EXPO
Cleveland Ohio
May 9, 2019
What’s new in functional fillers?
Compounding World EXPO
Cleveland Ohio
May 8, 2019
Invited to speak about plastics in medical implants
60 Minutes CBS
New York NY
2017
Plastics Innovation Case Studies: From Idea to Market in Record Time
Compounding World Forum
Fort Lauderdale Florida
2017
Innovation Abyss: An Innovator’s Solutions to Corporate Innovation Failure
TechConnect Chemtura / Lanxess
Southbury CT
2016
What Happened to Innovation in the Plastics Industry?
Compounding World Forum
Philadelphia PA
2016
  • All (4)
  • Videos (2)
  • Photos
  • Slides (1)
  • One sheet (1)
The Great Plastics Distraction Part Two 2021 4K
PLASTICS & THE ENVIRONMENT: DISPELLING POPULAR MYTHS WITH SCIENTIFIC FACTS - SPE 2020
This speaker hasn't uploaded any photos yet.
#1 Independent Expert Debunks Myths with Science & Evidence
This speaker hasn't uploaded any press information yet.

Books & Articles (13)

The Plastics Paradox: Facts for a Brighter Future
Phantom Press,
2020
Innovation Abyss: An Innovator's Solutions to Corporate Innovation Failure
2016
The Plastics Paradox: Why We Need to Rethink the Material’s Reputation
Plastics persecution: It may be fun, but is it fair?
Plastics - Fact Over Fiction
Microplastics in Human Blood How Concerned Should We Be?
The Plastics Paradox: Facts for a Brighter Future (book)
The Miracle and Menace of Plastic
CEI Online Event: The Plastics Paradox: Featuring Chris DeArmitt and Angela Logomasini
*INTERVIEW* Dr. Chris DeArmitt Author of The Plastics Paradox - The Ross Kaminsky Show
PLASTICS BENEFIT HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT (GUEST: CHRIS DEARMITT, PH.D.)
How the Environmentalists are Killing our Planet
The Ocean Patches - Fact or Fiction?

Expertise (12)

Business
Education
Science
Social & Political
Other
Environment and Sustainability Environment Plastics Polymer Creativity and Innovation Business and Innovation Creativity

Clients

CBS 60 Minutes
BBC
Sky News
PBS/NPR The Pulse
The Ross Kaminsky Show - iHeart 630 KHOW
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apple
P&G
University of California, Berkeley - Deplastify the Planet
British Plastics Federation
European Plastic Converters
RACCOLTALAGIUSTA - UNIONPLAST
AMI Compounding World EXPO
HP
iRobot
Chemtura / Lanxess
INEOS
Plastic Pipe Institute

Awards & certifications (1)

Chartered Chemist
Royal Society of Chemistry
2000

Reviews

Testimonials (23)
  • Chris spoke at our association's semi-annual meeting in 2022, and it was one of the best presentations I've ever seen. He was very comfortable with the space and the audience, spoke in a down-to-earth manner, and his slides were well designed, easy to follow, and informative. For this customized presentation, Chris collected data that is specific to our industry and prepared graphs to help convey that data easily. After witnessing an unexplained increase in the attacks against plastic in recent years and having no prepared rebuttals to those random claims about how plastics are harming the environment, it has been very enlightening to recognize that someone has the data to help fight fiction with facts. Thank goodness Chris DeArmitt has invested the time to research the truth data about how plastic materials are usually the best choice for numerous environmental considerations. Now, we need to help share this data with our audiences. Thank you, Chris!
    Lance MacNevin
    Verified
  • Chris is a passionate, no-nonense and motivating speaker. Not afraid to stick his head above the parapet and challenge established mantras with incisive, fact-based evidence, Chris naturally engages audiences and interviewers alike. Never short of a witty quip, Chris opens people's eyes and dares them to think differently. Highly recommended and eminently qualified speaker, using easy-to-understand scientific insights to challenge popular misconceptions. A must-see speaker to liven up any event!
    Tony Harrison
    Verified
  • Chris DeArmitt is the leading voice for todays febrile discussion about our use of plastics in society. When all around us is a sea of misinformation on plastics, Chris will explain, in his engaging style and the most straightforward of terms, the real facts and science behind this topic of our age. Chris knows his brief like no other and enthusiastically engages with his audience every time. I can think of no better speaker to bring some much needed balance to this vital and currently one sided debate.
    Fergus Hardie
    Verified
  • Chris is a passionate and experienced author/speaker on plastics materials, with a determination to provide solid evidence for all of his findings. He is extremely personable and has an ability to get truly inside the topic he is working on, debunking myths through sound science. He is engaging and knowledgeable.
    STEVEN PACITTI
    Verified
  • Chris stands for a scientific approach at its best. Independent, critical, unbiased and what is most important to me questioning internet gossip on plastics and the environment. I really found a reliable and strong partner, who is tirelessly working on debunking myths around plastics and by that enables decision makers to head for a brighter future.
    Robert Beregowez
    Verified
  • I am impressed by Dr. Chris DeArmitt's tenacious and enlightened advocacy in dispelling the myths about plastic. Although groups continue to demonize a product, whose versatility and quality has improved immeasurable products and industries, I admire Chris' strictly scientific approach and dogged determination to source information on the topic, rationalize and input new learnings, and clarify issues about plastic that are caught up in ignorance, sensationalism, poor journalism and special interest politics. Chris does not claim to have any astoundingly new insights on plastic and how it works, as a scientist he is simply distilling the existing (and developing) knowledge and learnings into a practical and workable format so that people may be able to understand the facts without the biased lens. As Chris notes, the litter problem with plastics is human - the treatment of (or failure to manage) waste requires changes in consumer behaviour - but the usefulness of plastic continues to be demonstrated. In his book, The Plastics Paradox: Facts for a Brighter Future, Chris succinctly set out the claims and the facts about plastic's impact in and on the environment, and the 'green' footprint comparisons to alternative products available to business and consumer. The material is presented in a lucid and clear language with illustrative scientific and useful figures - with all research back-up cited and linked. You will be surprised by his findings, and how far the facts and reality are from what is presented in the mainstream and social media. I read and digest numerous perspectives on a given issue to become informed and capable of addressing issues that present themselves. I work in and am familiar with the plastics business. Chris is a tremendous technical resource who is willing to demonstrate with evidence that plastics have and continue to provide immeasurable benefit to society, and assist our efforts to make better products that reduce harm to the environment. Dr. DeArmitt's book and his expertise are both invaluable assets to assist in becoming informed on the role and impact that plastic has today. Lorne O'Reilly, QC Barrister & Solicitor
    Lorne O'Reilly
    Verified
  • Chris really understands what the issues are facing the so called plastics crisis and is always able to share facts and science that proves most of the activist claims out there on the topic. His information is priceless.
    Bob Schiavone
    Verified
  • I cannot thank Chris enough for his tireless dedication to helping spread the science regarding plastics and recycling. His selfless sharing of his thousands of hours of unpaid work across the globe are so highly commendable. I find his resources invaluable in both my own education and to the many of my contacts that I direct to his website on a very regular basis. The only way that we can stop demonising plastics is to get the truth out there. It is a tireless and thankless task, but so very critical to ensure that mankind tries their very best to look after this planet.
    Susan Staff
    Verified
  • Chris has been instrumental in educating the industry about the demonisation of plastics and how they play a crucial role in our world. He explains and demonstrates how they are typically the greenest option, and that other material are unjustly promoted without considering the increased carbon footprint. He has supported us when asked and provided insights and expert opinion when required. I would highly recommend Chris to those wanting to understand the hard facts and not agenda-driven greenwashing.
    Guy Kitchener
    Verified
  • After hearing Dr. DeArmitt present I have seen overwhelming evidence that we have been misled into making policies proven to increase harm to the environment. By conducting the first comprehensive review of the science on materials use, waste generation, litter causes, microplastics, ocean plastics and degradation his work sets the foundation for sensible policies that will actually have a positive impact. As a scientist myself, I know how important it is to case decisions on solid data. I highly recommend that you listed to Chris because it will change your view on this topic forever...
    Dr. Nicolas Kokel
    Verified
  • Anyone who takes the trouble to read what Chris has written will find it is no trouble at all: he is factual, witty, extremely well-informed and above all, not afraid to tell the truth. Highly recommended!
    Erik Tempelman
    Verified
  • Chris stands for a scientific approach at its best. Independent, critical, unbiased and what is most important to me questioning internet gossip on plastics and the environment. I really found a reliable and strong partner, who is tirelessly working on debunking myths around plastics and by that enables decision makers to head for a brighter future.
    Robert Beregowez
    Verified
  • We at Printex Transparent Packaging fully support the efforts Chris makes dispelling the myths of Plastics and providing scientific proof to counter-act the modern day trend of demonizing plastics. Consumers and manufacturers deserve to know the truth and as a PHD in plastics, he is the perfect person to ask for the truth!
    Clear Plastic Packaging | Printex Transparent Packaging
    Sustainable, 100% Recycled Transparent Sheeting is Now a Reality!
    Jane White
    Verified
  • Chris is a passionate advocate for data-driven decisions with respect to evaluating the sustainability of plastic as a material. He is fearless in expressing his views and a highly energetic speaker who has reviewed vast quantities of research and is a world wide expert in his field. The facts unfortunately won’t be palatable to many, but Chris has a unique capability to condense vast volumes of research into nuggets of truth that are confronting but undeniable.
    Siobhan O’Dwyer
    Verified
  • Chris DeArmitt is one of the most eloquent speakers that I’ve known and he is able to effectively communicate his ideas to a wider audience. Chris was invited to give a talk on the topic of Innovation to the Technology team at Chemtura in the Fall of 2016 and he regaled the audience with anecdotes and examples that were easy to relate and understand. Chris was able to draw on ideas from his broad expertise and explained the pitfalls during the process of innovating and how to overcome those.
    Subra Narayan
    TechConnect
    Verified
  • I have read Chris' work thoroughly, it is a fantastic source of data and information to reference. It is written in a very direct style, stating the facts and science behind materials (comparing to plastic application) and highlights key points to consider when making material choices. The book manages to dispel myths about plastic and explain in an easy to understand way, clearly portraying the information. As a Packaging Technologist, the information is great for consideration against other factors when choosing the right material for the application.
    Dan Coppins
    Packaging Technologist & Quality Manager
    Verified
  • Chris is an outstanding scientist trained within the field of Polymer Chemistry. Chris has a wealth on invaluable experience in the plastics Industry and he is highly respected for his ability to source data and countenance misinformation within the public domain.
    Dr Robin Gilmour
    Verified
  • Chris is a professional , extremely active , skilled and seriously documented speaker .
    Massimo Bergamini
    Verified
  • Chris is the best plastic expert I know. I learned so much from him and keep learning. If everyone reads his book on the truth about plastics, they will realize that plastic is green.
    Badr
    Verified
  • I have known Chris for a many years and I was amazed by his scientific approach based on solid data to the problem of plastic pollution. He is one of the few people I know who has devoted many hours of his private time in reading scientific documents and texts, university researches, articles in journals. Maybe one of the best experts in plastics
    Massimo Centonze
    Verified
  • “This book gives the honest and upfront truths about material choices and the environmental impacts of those choices. It offers multiple sources and angles to provide a comprehensive yet easy to read insight into our current trend of plastic-bashing and the future issues this will cause. I’d highly recommend a read if you want to be informed on this subject.” “A colleague just gifted me a copy of Dr. Chris DeArmitt’s new book, the Plastics Paradox. This is the most cogent, comprehensive, and courageous analysis of plastics and the environment that I have ever read. Easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to cross reference and fact check. Ruthlessly agnostic in the application of scientific rigor to the problems of plastics in the environment. This book should be an essential part of every plastic professional’s training and preparation.” Bill Duelge – Chief Technology Officer, BottleOne
    Bill Duelge
    Verified
  • Chris DeArmitt’s talk on promoting innovation in the plastics sector at the Compounding World Forum 2016 in Philadelphia was very well received by the large international audience of industry professionals. His presentation style is lively and engaging, while his content is relevant, thought-provoking and backed up with real world examples and his own extensive experience.
    Andrew Beevers
    Director Events and Magazines
    AMI
    Verified
  • Chris is a true asset to the global plastics industry, often being the most engaging and informative speaker you will find at a plastics technology conference. But what's truly unique is -given his highly technical background as a PhD chemist and world-class innovator- Chris is able to distill complex concepts down to language that a layman would find fascinating. If you ever see Chris DeArmitt's name on a program, do not miss the opportunity to join the audience!
    Michael Chlebowski, P.Eng.
    Manager of Polymer Engineering
    Nexans
    AMI Compounding World Expo
    May 9, 2019
    Verified
Recommendations
31 Audience
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Why choose me? 

Astounds audiences as the only speaker who dispels myths with science and reveals the shocking truth

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