What if plastic became an ally rather than a scourge for the oceans? A team of Japanese researchers, led by Takuzo Aida of the RIKEN Center, has developed a biodegradable and sustainable supramolecular plastic, opening a new era in the fight against pollution.
Current biodegradable plastics are often ineffective in marine environments because they do not dissolve in water.
Plastic fragments, called microplastics, disrupt aquatic life and infiltrate our food chain. To address this challenge, Aida's team developed a supramolecular plastic based on reversible salt bridges.
The manufacturing process is based on two components: sodium hexametaphosphate, a common food additive, and a guanidinium-based monomer.
Biodegradable and metabolized by bacteria, these elements transform plastic remains into natural fertilizers.
Better yet, 91% of the first material and 1% of the second can be recovered, making this plastic not only biodegradable but also recyclable.
In a terrestrial environment, this plastic degrades completely within ten days, enriching the soil with nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.
This promising advance, although still experimental, could offer a sustainable response to the plastic scourge.
However, it will still take colossal efforts to eliminate the waste that has already accumulated. _VX
https://faxinfo.fr/en/good-news-un-plastique-revolutionnaire-qui-se-degrade-en-fertilisant/
