Scientists are turning to milk proteins, starch, and nanoclay to create biodegradable plastics that break down quickly in soil. As concerns grow about damage to the environment and potential risks to ...

Researchers made a strong, flexible plastic from plant cellulose that breaks down quickly in natural environments, unlike ...

In a landfill, a plastic bottle can take more than a thousand years to break down. But a new process can transform polyethylene plastic in days, using bacteria to eat the waste and then turn it into a ...

Moving towards a more sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle is something that's important to me, as I know it is for a lot of people. One way I've been trying to achieve this goal is by cutting way back ...

At the urging of the plastics industry, the USDA is considering allowing materials such as bioplastic cups, coffee pods and compostable plastic bags into the organic compost waste stream. Farmers and ...

Polystyrene is made from styrene building blocks and is the most widely used plastic in terms of volume, for example in packaging. Unlike PET, which can now be produced and recycled using ...

Strips of plain TPU (top) and "living" TPU (bottom) at different stages of decomposition over five months of being in compost. A new type of bioplastic could help reduce the plastic industry’s ...

Plastics make up approximately 5–12 % of global waste generation, constituting around 20–30 % of waste by weight. Alarmingly, about 60 % of plastics end up as plastic waste (PW) in the environment. 2 ...

When plastic entered the design world in the 20th century, it was hailed as a wonder material—something strong, durable, lightweight, affordable, and malleable enough to sculpt into expressive, ...

Biodegradable thermal packaging is revolutionizing the standards for transporting temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals ...

Pollution affects human health and the environment in many ways. Air, water, and land pollution continue to damage ecosystems, with conventional materials—especially plastics—being a primary ...

Plastic that behaves like a sturdy fork on your picnic table and then quietly melts back into the soil sounds like science ...