Latest news with #biodegradablePlastic
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater
Scientists in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in say the new material breaks down quickly in around two to three hours, depending on its thickness and size. Many existing biodegradable plastics aren't able to fully dissolve, leaving behind harmful microplastics that can pollute the ocean and harm it's hoped that the new non-toxic material could offer a future solution as it disappears completely. What have scientists developed? The new plastic was co-developed by the University of Tokyo in Japan and the country's RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS). Researchers say it is made by combining two small molecules which form a strong bond that allows the new material to stay tough and scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, the team say their invention breaks down much more quickly and leaves no placed in a mixture which had the same amount of salt as seawater, they found the new plastic dissolved "quickly in about two to three hours, depending on its thickness and size."And it's not just in water where the new plastic can dissolve. Takuzo Aida, lead researcher at CEMS, explained: "Similarly, when tested in soil..a piece of plastic about 5 centimetres in size, it completely disappears after a little over 200 hours." Plastic pollution is a big global problem, with experts at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) saying the amount of waste is set to triple in the next 15 studies have shown the damage microplastics cause as they pollute the environment and create health problems for animals, because they can be easily new plastic is still in the early phase of development but Mr Aida said their research has attracted a lot of interest, including from those in the packaging added: "In Japan, almost all packaging is made of plastic, and if we can really manage to reduce that, we can expect less environmental damage." Currently, less than 9% of global plastic waste is successfully recycled.
Japan Times
05-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that quickly dissolves in seawater
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project leader Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day marked on Thursday. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the U.N. Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about 5 centimeters in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.
Malay Mail
04-06-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
Plastic that melts away in hours: Japan's ocean pollution game-changer
WAKO (Japan), June 5 — Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. 'Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment,' Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimetres (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added. — Reuters
The Herald
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Herald
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering a potential solution for the scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the Riken Centre for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo said their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-million to 37-million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure we leave them with the best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. The components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about 5cm in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he said. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable and does not emit carbon dioxide, he said. Reuters
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-06-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics, but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimeters (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.
