A Plastic That Fully Decomposes In Soil And Seawater
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Plastic pollution is one of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. A large portion of the 400 million tons of plastic produced annually ends up in landfills or the ocean. Unlike organic waste, plastic never decomposes. Instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces called microplastics. These particles contaminate water, soil, and air, harming marine life, livestock, and even humans.
A team of Japanese scientists hopes to solve the problem with a new plastic that fully degrades in soil or seawater.
Researchers at Japan’s RIKEN institute set out to create this material with two main goals. They wanted it to be strong and versatile, while also breaking down in soil and seawater without leaving any microplastics behind. To achieve this, the scientists developed a special polymer with weaker molecular bonds than traditional plastic. These bonds break more easily, allowing the material to fully biodegrade in natural settings.
Think of it as the difference between a rock and a sugar cube. Regular plastic behaves like a rock. While it may break into smaller pieces, it never truly disappears. This new material, however, dissolves like a sugar cube in water, leaving nothing harmful behind.
In tests, the new plastic began breaking down within hours in seawater. It also fully decomposed in soil within ten days. As it broke down, it even released nutrients that could help plants grow.
The findings were published in the journal Science on November 21, 2024. The team now faces the challenge of increasing production and making the plastic affordable for everyday use. If they succeed, it could replace traditional plastic in everything from 3D printing to medical devices and consumer goods.
Resources: BBC.co.uk, ZMEscience.com, Scienceblog.com
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37 Comments
preppyvibesabout 3 hoursI feel really bad for the sea creatures- alucason315 daysdisgusting poor sea animals :(
- alucason315 daystoo much trash!
freerangekid5 daysWOW that's crazy I have never thought of us eating fish and they could've eating chemicals or plastic or something like that.
kathryn2334 daysyeah its kind of scary
skyza11 daysWOW! our world needs this sort of plastic!!! 😄
nomizilifehu12 daysTHATS SO COOL, THIS PLASITC CAN SAVE THE OCEAN AND SOIL *i think*
kimafkk12 daysthe world needs this
enigmaticreader12 daysFantastic
wewacajy-17080493285413 daysIt is cool but it's most likely going to be more expensive for bisunesses to buy this plastic, so they will just stick to cheap normal plastic
troublemaker8713 daysWow that is so cool and our world really needs it
