New 'Living Plastic' Self-Destructs in Just 6 Days

Topic: Research News

Scientists have created a new type of plastic that breaks down on its own within six days. This breakthrough could help reduce plastic pollution in our environment.

Many plastic items are used for only a few minutes or hours, but the material can remain in the environment for decades or even centuries.

Researchers are now exploring a different approach: plastics designed to break themselves down when activated. These materials contain dormant microbes capable of degrading the surrounding polymer. In a study published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, scientists developed a version that fully decomposed in six days without producing microplastics.

Zhuojun Dai, a corresponding author on the paper, explains that

Implications

Scientists have created a new type of plastic that breaks down on its own within six days. This breakthrough could help reduce plastic pollution in our environment.