Supramolecular materials that fully degrade when soaked in saltwater could tackle the microplastics pollution crisis.
Plastics circulate throughout all the Earth’s oceans. Rather than biodegrade, they simply break down into tinier and tinier pieces, producing microplastics that measure less than 5mm long.
According to US environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, 11 million tonnes of plastics enter our oceans every year. This is in addition to the estimated 200 million tonnes already there.
As well as polluting our environment, microplastics have also been found in our bodies, including in our blood and brains.
Researchers at RIKEN, a national research and development agency in Japan, intend to tackle this problem with a new plastic-like material that biodegrades in saltwater.
Similar in weight and strength to conventional plastics, the new material could help reduce plastics pollution, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with burning plastics, according to Takuzo...