A groundbreaking breakthrough in materials science comes from a team that has mixed bacteria with plastic, resulting in ‘living plastic’. This new material can dissolve itself and is 90% degradable within 5 months. It turns out to not only be self-healing, but also stronger and more flexible than traditional plastic. Researchers emphasize the improved properties due to the synergy between the bacteria and the plastic. The end product of the degradation is not expected to be harmful, which offers new possibilities for more sustainable materials.
Why this is important:
We are faced with a growing mountain of waste that largely consists of plastic. The material is a nightmare for the environment due to its slow degradation processes. The innovation that is now on the table could drastically break this cycle. The ‘living plastic’ brings a potentially revolutionary change in how we deal with plastic waste.
The synergy between bacteria and plastic
The concept of ‘living plastic’ is a carefully developed solution that can provide an answer to a global problem. The merger of the bacterial species Bacillus subtilis with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is not random. Bacillus subtilis is known for its ability to break down plastic. The team, led by scientist Jon Pokorski, has enhanced this natural property by making the bacteria resistant to the high temperatures required for TPU production.
The benefits of self-degrading plastic
In addition to its rapid degradation, which is a significant improvement over conventional plastic, the ‘living plastic’ also shows improved physical properties. The new material is stronger and more flexible, which increases the application possibilities. These improvements occurred after adding the bacteria to the TPU. According to Pokorski, the material offers advantages that were previously unattainable.
Making plastic biodegradable through sunlight
Researchers from Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) are developing plastics from agricultural residual flows that are biodegradable by ultraviolet light.
What happens after decomposition?
The question of what remains of the plastic after decomposition is essential. If the remainder were harmful, the material would not make the desired contribution to a more sustainable future. The scientists hope that the remaining material will not harm the environment. The follow-up plan includes the development of more degradable materials based on this technology. This could lead to a new era of environmentally friendly materials.
The future of plastic
The future of plastic suddenly looks a lot brighter with this invention. The research team’s goal is to scale up this technology to larger production quantities. Not only quantity is important, but also the continuous evolution of the bacteria. By allowing this to evolve further, the plastic could be broken down even faster. This increases the feasibility of the technology for commercial applications.
The impact on the environment
This ‘living plastic’ could significantly reduce the amount of waste entering the environment. If other types of plastic could also be mixed with bacterial spores, future plastic would be much easier to break down. This reduces the ecological footprint of a material that has until now been known as an environmental pollutant.
Tags: Revolutionary living plastic promises reduce waste problem
