Some microplastics are intentionally added to a variety of products, amounting to an estimated 50,000 tons a year in the EU alone. The EU has already declared that these added, nonbiodegradable microplastics must be eliminated by 2025, so the search is on for suitable replacements, which do not currently exist.
The microplastics widely used in industrial products generally protect some specific active ingredient (or ingredients) from being degraded by exposure to air or moisture, until the time they are needed.
They provide a slow release of the active ingredient for a targeted period of time and minimise adverse effects to its surroundings. The materials used today for such microencapsulation are plastics that persist in the environment for a long time and with no currently available substitute that is both practical and economical.
Unlike the high-quality silk threads used for fine fabrics, the silk protein used in the new alternative material is widely...