Collaborate Disseminate
The longevity of plastic is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it’s extremely durable, inexpensive, and easy to work with, but it also doesn’t biodegrade and …read more Continue reading Discarded Plastic Laser-Cut And Reassembled
Central to the environmental damage caused by plastics is the length of time they take to break down, but researchers are starting to demonstrate how naturally occurring microbes could lend a helping hand. The latest example of this comes from scientis… Continue reading Stomach fluid of cows found to break down common plastic
Developing forms of plastic that don’t take centuries to break down after use is a common objective among eco-conscious material scientists, and lately we’re seeing how bacteria might offer a helping hand. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have… Continue reading Bacteria converts degraded plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring
While millions of tons of plastic are produced in the US each year, only around 9 percent is recycled, and that is largely due to the difficulties around reducing the material to useful building blocks for other products. A new chemical treatment devel… Continue reading Chemical process converts plastic into jet fuel ingredients in an hour
Modern scientific techniques are rapidly improving our understanding of how plastic pollution can impact marine organisms, and a new study has demonstrated how they can also be used to understand the plight of creatures past. Scientists have used museu… Continue reading Historical fish gut study shows they’ve been eating plastic since 1950
Plastic is a major environmental issue, since most of it doesn’t break down easily – and even when it does, it usually forms microplastic pieces that pose their own problems. A new type of compostable plastic is embedded with enzymes that, when trigger… Continue reading Embedded enzymes make for compostable plastics that break down in days
Futurism is dead. At least, the wildly optimistic technology-based futurism of the middle years of the 20th century has been replaced in our version of their future by a much …read more Continue reading Weren’t We supposed To Live In Plastic Houses In The Future?
Motivated by our growing problem with plastics, which are environmentally damaging both to produce and after they’re disposed of, scientists are tinkering away with more eco-friendly forms of the material. Researchers at Yale University have put forwar… Continue reading Bioplastic made from wood powder entirely degrades in three months
Microplastics are increasingly found to be polluting oceans and waterways and causing unknown damage to the health of animals and humans. Now, a new study provides evidence there’s cross over with another looming public health threat – antibiotic-resis… Continue reading Wastewater microplastics help superbugs share dangerous genes
MIT engineers have found a new use for a common plastic, managing to spin polyethylene into fabric that can passively cool the wearer by allowing heat through and moisture to evaporate. The discovery could see waste plastic bags being turned into sport… Continue reading Waste plastic could be spun into eco-friendly clothing