Recent research by scientists shows that plastic pollution is everywhere on a global scale. Microplastics are even found in the brain and other organs of the human body. Countless discarded plastic products, including a huge plastic island in the Pacific Ocean, have long prompted scientists to search for a rapidly degradable alternative to this material. It seems that the Japanese have come close to this goal.
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for New Materials Research and the University of Tokyo have developed a new plastic material. It is as strong as traditional petroleum-based plastics, but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Naturally occurring bacteria then recycle these components, leaving behind no microplastic or nanoplastic pollutants.
Modern biodegradable plastic is not fully recycled in nature. At least not in a relatively short time. The material presented by Japanese scientists completely dissolves in salt water in just an hour, and in soil, where there are also salts, in about 200 hours, depending on the size of the sample.
The material is claimed to be non-toxic to humans, fireproof and does not emit carbon dioxide. It functions like any ordinary plastic product. The team is currently focused on developing the optimal coating method, which indicates that the material is not yet ready for commercialization.
Plastic waste is a major factor in the growing environmental problems facing our planet. The United Nations predicts that plastic pollution will triple in the next 15 years, with 23 to 37 million tons of waste ending up in the world's oceans every year. Fully biodegradable plastic would at least stop contributing to the problem.