Researchers have recently developed plant-based polymers that fully biodegrade in under seven months, even at the microplastic level. The novel polymers could provide a viable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics that can take up to 1,000 years to break down.
Microplastics are well documented within the Earth's oceans and soil and recent research has discovered their presence in human organs. In the study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, a team of researchers from the University of California San Diego and the materials science company Algenesis report that they have developed a novel thermoplastic polyurethane derived from algae.
“When we first created these algae-based polymers about six years ago, our intention was always that it be completely biodegradable,” said Robert Pomeroy, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and an Algenesis co-founder. “We had plenty of data to suggest that our material was disappearing in the compost, but this is the first time we’ve measured it at the microparticle level.”
To confirm this biodegradability, the team ground their product into microparticles and monitored their degradation while in compost. The team relied on a respirometer, water flotation, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) to confirm the complete biodegrading of the microparticles.
“This material is the first plastic demonstrated to not create microplastics as we use it,” said Stephen Mayfield, professor in the School of Biological Sciences and co-founder of Algenesis. “This is more than just a sustainable solution for the end-of-product life cycle and our crowded landfills. This is actually plastic that is not going to make us sick.”
Creating the biodegradable plastic is simply one piece of the puzzle, next steps for the team include further development for use within pre-existing manufacturing equipment. By partnering with industry experts, the team is hopeful to begin manufacturing products such as cell phone cases using the plant-based polymer.
“When we started this work, we were told it was impossible,” said Michael Burkart, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Now we see a different reality. There's a lot of work to be done, but we want to give people hope. It is possible.”