Saturday, June 07, 2025

Plastic That Dissolves in Seawater Within Hours

Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife.

Posted by HeliumRat at 12:32 PM | 18 COMMENTS | permalink

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Scientists from RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo have created a new type of plastic that fully dissolves in seawater, leaving behind no harmful microplastics. This is a major step forward in tackling plastic pollution. #Recycling #PlasticFree #ZeroWaste

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-- One Earth (@oneearthofficial.bsky.social) Mar 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM

Comments

Rumor has it that OceanGate is looking into this product for their next submersible craft.

#1 | Posted by censored at 2025-06-05 11:12 AM

200 hours is not going to be long enough life for commerical use. Needs to be like 20,000 hours.

#2 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-05 11:40 AM

Biodegradable plastic is a misnomer, it just breaks down into microplastic particles and we all know those are a huge problem already.

They hedge in this article by saying "...breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria..." but notice they don't mention which bacteria or how common it is.

Works great in a lab I'm sure but without gathering all this stuff up and intentionally feeding it to vats of bacteria it's just more microplastic junk in the soil and oceans.

#3 | Posted by qcp at 2025-06-05 11:50 AM

"I want to say one word to you. Just one word..."

www.youtube.com

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2025-06-07 04:01 PM

"I want to say one word to you. Just one word..."

Updated version:

"Subsidiary Rights".

#5 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-06-07 04:11 PM

"I want to say one word to you. Just one word..." www.youtube.com
#4 | Posted by Corky

LOL!

I remember seeing that movie as a kid. Didn't get the joke and took it literally. Wracked my brain for days trying, without success, to figure out how to apply it to my own life.

#6 | Posted by censored at 2025-06-08 03:19 PM

Qcp,

"Biodegradable plastic is a misnomer, it just breaks down into microplastic particles and we all know those are a huge problem already."

Totally agree.

This could be worse than ever.

Nothing ever really goes away.

#7 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-06-08 05:47 PM

Everything physical ever created such as every plastic wrapper, every metal bolt, every circuit board, every synthetic fiber is still somewhere on this planet unless it was deliberately incinerated (in which case the byproducts entered the air or ash piles) or recycled.

And very little is truly recycled.

There is no "away" in "throw away."

#8 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-06-08 05:54 PM

And it's looking like all forms of life are beginning to incorporate it.

We are becoming one with our trash.

#9 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-06-08 06:03 PM

Humanity will likely destroy itself before the consequences are fully known.

We won't be here to witness the worst of it.

The planet will survive. We won't.

#10 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-06-08 06:06 PM

I'm with you BillJohnson.

#11 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-06-08 06:09 PM

Happy Extinction!

#12 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-06-08 06:10 PM

200 hours is not going to be long enough life for commerical use. Needs to be like 20,000 hours.

#2 | POSTED BY SNOOFY

Maybe AI can help the earth heal from our waste. After it gets done subduing the human virus that created it.

#13 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-06-08 06:55 PM


200 hours is not going to be long enough life for commerical use. Needs to be like 20,000 hours.
#2 | POSTED BY SNOOFY

Did you even read the article? Do you understand what and why the material breaksdown?

but notice they don't mention which bacteria or how common it is.

Its an article not a scientific paper, its not petroleum based, its a polylactic acid, it doesn't break down into microplastic.

And very little is truly recycled.

Depends upon your definition of recycled.

Just a hint for success, but this thread shows you guys need to read and understand more before you post.

#14 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-06-08 06:58 PM

this thread shows you guys need to read and understand more before you post.

#14 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

lol.. you a funny funny man.

No way that will ever come back to byte you in the arse.

#15 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-06-08 07:01 PM

Can be done and can be done practically and economically are different.

We can invent things in a lab but unless its scalable it will fail.

In the interim it might be a good idea to use less.

#16 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-06-08 08:03 PM

engineerine.com

When buried in soil, the plastic completely disintegrates within 10 days, leaving behind organic compounds that enrich the soil with vital nutrients. This process enhances soil fertility, making it an ideal material for agricultural applications. Within just over a week, the plastic fully decomposes, leaving no trace behind. Instead of polluting the environment, this plastic releases phosphorus and nitrogen, acting as a natural fertilizer.

Dissolves in Seawater Within Hours. Unlike traditional plastics that persist for centuries, this material completely disappears in ocean environments in just a few hours.

As Strong as Regular Plastic. The material retains the durability of conventional plastics, making it a viable alternative for everyday products.

No Microplastic Residue. Unlike conventional biodegradable plastics, this material does not leave behind harmful microplastic particles.

Supports Sustainable Agriculture. Farmers can use this plastic in mulch films, packaging, and other agricultural applications without worrying about soil contamination.

#17 | Posted by Idependant97 at 2025-06-09 02:02 AM

>this thread shows you guys need to read and understand more before you post.
>#14 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

lol.. you a funny funny man. no way that will ever come back to byte you in the arse.
#15 | Posted by donnerboy

OneIronTurd, the paid Russian troll who pretends to be from California but didn't know that Baldwin Park is in the state and part of Los Angeles, or that it has a Latino US Senator.

#18 | Posted by censored at 2025-06-09 07:35 AM

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