Japanese researchers at the Riken Centre have developed a new material: a plastic that dissolves in salt water, designed to combat microplastic pollution of the oceans, among other things. The results were published in the Science journal last November.
This new biodegradable "supramolecular plastic" can dissolve in salt water thanks to biodegradable monomers composed of sodium hexametaphosphate. It can also decompose in the soil in about 10 days, and could even enrich the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus.
The scientists behind this research claim that the solution would work for a wide range of applications, including food packaging.
Source: francetvinfo.fr
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