Explained: RIKEN & University of Tokyo's Dissolving Plastic
When it comes to plastic pollution, there's often an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality.
However, a surprising fact remains: only about 9% of plastic is recycled globally, with the rest accumulating in landfills, incinerators or natural environments such as oceans and landscapes.
Every 60 seconds, a dump truck full of plastic pollutes our oceans.
If current trends persist, the oceans will contain more plastic pieces than fish by 2050.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive floating island of plastic three times larger than France, illustrates the severe impact of plastic on marine ecosystems.
Despite the alarming increase in plastic waste, production is expected to triple by 2050.
This relentless increase underscores the urgent need for effective solutions to protect marine biodiversity from irreversible damage.
Innovations like the Ocean Cleanup and Seabinhave made strides in removing plastics from the ocean. Yet, the breakthrough by a team of Japanese researchers offers a more fundamental solution by addressing the non-biodegradability of plastic itself.
An era-defining invention
The revelation from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo could change the landscape of plastic production and disposal.
Utilising supramolecular chemistry, they have created a plastic that disintegrates in seawater.
These plastics, which are formed from ionic monomers linked through reversible salt bonds, are robust during usage but degrade swiftly when exposed to saline environments.
Lead Researcher Takuzo Aida says: "With this new material, we have created a new family of plastics that are strong, stable, recyclable, can serve multiple functions, and importantly, do not generate microplastics."
This ground-breaking plastic begins to disintegrate within hours in seawater and fully decomposes in soil within 10 days, releasing fertiliser-like nutrients that benefit plant growth.
The production process is equally innovative, using a dual-layer mixing technique that ensures the plastic's integrity and functionality.
Impressively, 91% of the raw material can be reclaimed following dissolution.
With this new material, we have created a new family of plastics that are strong, stable, recyclable, can serve multiple functions, and importantly, do not generate microplastics.
Addressing microplastics
As plastic waste degrades, it transforms into microplastics — tiny fragments that are pervasive through our oceans and even infiltrate our food chain.
The potential hazards posed by microplastics to human health are a rising concern.
While many biodegradable plastics exist, their inability to properly break down in marine conditions or their residual toxicity limits their effectiveness.
This new, fully soluble plastic circumvents the microplastic issue by disintegrating completely, thereby offering a safer alternative to current biodegradable plastics.
This inventive material could represent a significant advancement in the global fight against marine plastic pollution.
The Global Plastics Treaty and future prospects
The introduction of this material aligns closely with the anticipated debates surrounding the Global Plastics Treaty.
This international treaty aims to establish enforceable global standards to cut down plastic waste and boost recycling rates while fostering the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives.
Companies and nations alike are showing their support.
Anne Beathe Tvinnereim is Norway’s Minister for International Development and Co-Chair of a coalition of 60 countries which is advocating for radical treaty terms.
She says: “We are not going to land a perfect treaty. But we need to get further. And I think we will. I choose to be hopeful,” she said at the negotiations in South Korea. “With high-ambition coalition countries, we will continue to demonstrate that there is a big group of countries that sticks to its ambitions. The world desperately needs some leadership now, and some good news.”
With broad support from various sectors, including significant endorsements from large corporations such as Unilever, the future of this pioneering plastic in global markets looks promising. Experts believe that this new material could soon be standard in industries reliant on single-use plastics, provided there is adequate collaboration among scientists, manufacturers and policy makers to scale up production and establish supportive recycling infrastructures.
Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher says: “Business needs global rules.”
The Global Plastics Treaty
Experts are optimistic about the potential for this technology to be implemented globally.
Joaquín Martínez Urreaga from the Polytechnic University of Madrid describes the development as “a promising alternative to tackle marine pollution.”
The hope is that this new type of plastic could be adopted across various industries, particularly those reliant on single-use packaging.
However, transitioning from traditional plastics to this new biodegradable option will require collaboration among researchers, manufacturers and policymakers.
The challenge lies not only in producing this material at scale but also in establishing an infrastructure that supports its use and recycling.
If the Global Plastics Treaty is agreed upon, we may be entering a bold new world. Will this new plastic be a part of it?
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