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 ...

The world has a big plastic problem that it's yet to fix. We're trying to reduce our reliance on plastic, but that's seemingly impossible in modern society. The material is too important for our daily ...

Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, which are long chains of molecules typically derived from petroleum, natural gas, or other organic sources. Plastics are ...

Of all the major types of materials used today, plastics are one of the fastest-growing categories and offer the greatest opportunity for innovation. Decades of development towards improving the ...

A new biodegradable plastic from plant cellulose breaks down in seawater without microplastics. It may be a sustainable ...

Scientists at Rice University and University of Houston have developed an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. Using a spinning ...

Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment, University of Portsmouth Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over 100 million ...

It’s tempting to think of purchasing plastic cups labeled as compostable or using plastic cutlery made of biodegradable materials as a better choice for the environment—but there are a lot of ...

Plastics are made to last, which is great while they’re being used but not so great after they’re discarded. Now chemists at the University of Konstanz have developed a new kind of plastic that has ...

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

China’s “toughest ever” drive to reduce single-use plastics has been underway for two years. In January 2020, the country announced bans or restrictions on the production or sale of products including ...