Plastic Innovation Produces Substance Soluble in Seawater

Thought Question: What’s one small change you would invent or imagine to help make the world a cleaner or safer place for future generations?

Our oceans are “home” to 75 million to 199 million tons of plastic pollution. That amount is expected to triple by 2040. That's according to the United Nations. All that waste threatens ecosystems. It makes food supplies unsafe. The race is on to find a fix to the plastic problem. A team in Japan may have a solution.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo recently debuted a new material. It breaks apart in ocean water. The team showed reporters their invention. They placed a sheet of the substance into a beaker of saltwater. Then they stirred it up. After about an hour, the sample disappeared.

The project's lead scientist is Takuzo Aida. He says the new substance works because it uses ingredients that are easier to break apart than those in regular plastic. The molecules in the new plastic can be broken apart by salt.

“With this new material, we have created a new family of plastics," Aida said. "(They are) are strong, stable, recyclable, can serve multiple functions, and importantly, do not generate microplastics." 

Once split apart by salt, the substance is non-toxic. It's also carbon neutral. That’s great for the planet, Aida says. The next step is making the new plastic mass produceable. That way, bag and bottle makers can use it. Aida’s team is trying different coatings to help the stuff last longer. And finding that perfect formula? For Aida, it’s more than just curiosity.

“Children cannot choose the planet they will live on,” he told Reuters. “It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with the best possible environment.”