Japan scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater as ocean pollution solution
The new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down when exposed to salt, researchers say
While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the Riken Centre for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace.
At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred for about an hour.
While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research had attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector.
Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day, which takes place on Thursday this year.
01:59
Trump signs order on plastic drinking straws, says paper ones ‘explode’
Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23 million to 37 million tonnes of waste into the world’s oceans each year.